Artificial intelligence makes a lot of things easier — even what it shouldn’t. Google is aware of this and has put protections in Magic Editor, a tool available in the Pixel 8’s Photos app. The latest version of the app details what is forbidden to change: documents, receipts, faces, and body parts, among other items.
The information was obtained from an analysis of the application code. Among the error messages listed are:
“Magic Editor can’t edit photos of IDs, receipts, and other documents that violate Google’s GenAI terms. Try using Magic Editor on a different photo.”
“Magic Editor can’t edit faces. Try selecting something else.”
“Magic Editor can’t erase or move selected areas that are too large. Try to select a smaller area.”
“Magic Editor can’t edit people’s parts. Try selecting something else.”
“The editing can’t be completed. Try to move your selection less.”
“Magic Editor may not generate images that may contain personally identifiable information. Try typing something else.”
“The Magic Editor can’t complete this edit. Try a different edition.”
Until now, Magic Editor prevented some of these edits, but it did show a generic error message. By analyzing the code, we know better what it can’t do.
In addition, the tool may refuse to create images, in case any word used in the application violates GenAI’s terms of use.
Magic Editor is one of the highlights of the Pixel 8
Launched in October 2023, the Pixel 8 not only brought new hardware but also advanced artificial intelligence features.
Google Photos’ Magic Editor is one such tool. Introduced months earlier, at Google I/O 2023, the feature uses generative AI to edit images in a “magical” way.
You can remove unwanted objects or move them, make the sky clearer or cloudier, or apply more tricks of this type. This was already possible with more advanced tools, such as Photoshop. The novelty of Magic Editor is that it makes the process easier and reduces it to a few taps.
