Pritish Bagdi
Google has paused the rollout of its AI-powered "Ask Photos" feature in Google Photos due to feedback on issues with latency, quality, and user experience. Initially launched as an experimental feature, "Ask Photos" uses Google's Gemini AI models to allow users to search their photo libraries with natural language questions. Product manager Jamie Aspinall announced the pause after criticism, indicating a refined version will be available in about two weeks. The feature aims to improve photo searches by understanding and interpreting photo contents contextually. Alongside this, Google has enhanced search functionality within Google Photos, allowing more accurate searches using quotes for exact text matches. This update expands on features announced at Google I/O 2024, aiming to make searches more intuitive. The pause reflects Google's ongoing scrutiny and refinement of AI features, amid competition in the AI space. Despite the pause, Google's vision for "Ask Photos" remains to enhance user interaction with photo libraries through AI. The timeline for the feature's return remains unannounced.