Why You Care
Ever tried to edit a photo of yourself or a loved one, only for the AI to subtly change their face? It’s frustrating, right? This common issue often makes AI-edited images feel ‘off.’ Now, the Gemini app has just rolled out a major update to its image editing features. This betterment promises to keep you looking like you, even when you’re experimenting with wild new scenarios. Why should you care? Because your memories, captured in photos, deserve to be edited flawlessly.
What Actually Happened
The Gemini app has introduced a new image editing model, according to the announcement. This model comes from Google DeepMind. It significantly upgrades the app’s native image editing capabilities. The core focus of this update is to maintain a consistent likeness. This applies specifically when editing photos of people and pets. Users can now perform various edits. These include changing outfits, blending photos, and applying styles from one image to another. The technical report explains that this aims to prevent subtle flaws. These flaws often make edited depictions feel ‘close but not quite the same.’
Why This Matters to You
This update directly impacts how you can personalize your photos. Imagine effortlessly placing yourself on a basketball court with your dog. Or perhaps you want to see how you would look in a 1960s beehive hairstyle. The new features allow for creative freedom without losing your identity. The company reports that the model is designed to make photos of your friends, family, and even your pets look consistently like themselves. This is true whether you’re trying out a new look or placing them in a fantastical scene. You can even upload your edited image back into Gemini. This allows you to turn your new photo into a fun video, as mentioned in the release. What kind of imaginative scenes will you create with this enhanced control?
Here are some new capabilities you can explore:
| Feature | Description |
| Costume/Location Change | Place people or pets in new scenarios while maintaining their likeness. |
| Photo Blending | Combine multiple photos to create a brand-new scene, like you and your pet on a basketball court. |
| Multi-Turn Editing | Continue editing images Gemini creates, altering specific parts while preserving the rest. |
| Design Mixing | Apply the style, color, or texture from one image to an object in another. |
David Sharon, Multimodal Generation Lead for Gemini Apps, stated, “We know that when editing pictures of yourself or people you know well, subtle flaws matter — a depiction that’s ‘close but not quite the same’ doesn’t feel right.” This update addresses that precise concern, ensuring your edits look natural and authentic.
The Surprising Finding
Here’s the twist: the most surprising aspect of this update isn’t just the new features. It’s the dedicated focus on maintaining ‘likeness consistency.’ Many AI image editors excel at generating new content. However, they often struggle with keeping a subject’s facial features or overall appearance truly consistent across different edits or scenarios. The study finds that previous versions, while capable, could produce depictions that were “close but not quite the same.” This new model specifically tackles that challenge. It ensures that whether you’re giving your chihuahua a tutu or trying a new outfit, the core identity of the subject remains intact. This challenges the common assumption that AI-powered edits always introduce subtle, uncanny alterations to familiar faces.
What Happens Next
This updated image editing capability is available in the Gemini app starting today. This means you can begin experimenting right away. For example, imagine a content creator needing to quickly generate diverse social media posts featuring the same model in different settings. This tool could significantly speed up their workflow. The team revealed that they will continue to refine these capabilities. Industry implications are significant. This could set a new standard for personal photo editing applications. It could also influence how other AI tools prioritize likeness in their outputs. The documentation indicates that continuous improvements are planned. Actionable advice for readers: download the Gemini app and try these new features. See firsthand how they can enhance your personal and professional image editing tasks.