Google's new ‘Reimagine’ feature uses AI to transform objects in pictures — and I saw it in action
Google unloaded a wave of new AI features at the Made by Google event today — and one of them is a new Magic Editor feature called "Reimagine." For the uninitiated, Magic Editor was unveiled during the debut of Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, and it allows users to tap into generative AI to make complex photo edits, like object removal and unblurring a hazy, unclear photo.
Now, Google is taking it up a notch alongside the release of the new Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold (whew, that was a mouthful). The search engine giant has dropped a new AI-powered Magic Editor feature called Reimagine, which allows you to select an object in a photo — and transform it into anything you want (within reason, of course) with a prompt.
I was able to see this feature in action at a recent press event, and wow, it blew me away.
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I watched Google’s new ‘Reimagine’ use AI to transform one object to another
On a Pixel 9 series phone, a Google rep showed us a photo of a road, with a car driving on it, that appeared to be flanked by two cliffs. In the background, you can find an imposing mountain in the distance.
On the device, the Google rep tapped on the "Edit" button followed by a bottom-right purple icon that led him to the Magic Editor tool. Next, he tapped on the road, which allowed the AI to isolate it from the other elements in the picture. And it shows the user what, exactly, has been isolated with a translucent white overlay,
The Google rep tapped the car, too, adding that as another object in the picture, in addition to the road, that he'd like to isolate for Reimagine.
He hit the "Reimagine" button on the bottom right, which prompted a text field to appear. With the road and car selected in the photo, the Google rep typed in that he'd like to "reimagine" them as a raging river.
He hit send. I waited about 15 seconds for the generative AI model to do its thing, and voila, I received some stunning options from the Reimagine tool, with the first one being my favorite.
You can enjoy Reimagine in all of its glory across the entire Pixel 9 series, which dropped today. Stay tuned for more coverage on Google's new phones as well as the search engine giant's new generative AI developments.
Topics Artificial Intelligence Google
Kimberly Gedeon, at Mashable since 2023, is a tech explorer who enjoys doing deep dives into the most popular gadgets, from the latest iPhones to the most immersive VR headsets. She's drawn to strange, avant-garde, bizarre tech, whether it's a 3D laptop, a gaming rig that can transform into a briefcase, or smart glasses that can capture video. Her journalism career kicked off about a decade ago at MadameNoire where she covered tech and business before landing as a tech editor at Laptop Mag in 2020.
