Google is ignoring Windows with AI features for photos

Google will roll out AI-powered photo editing features for its Photos app on Android and iOS starting May 15. A selection of Chromebooks are also among the lucky ones, but Windows falls to the wayside.

AI-powered photo editing features in Google Photos will be rolled out to more devices starting May 15 with no subscription required, the tech giant confirmed in Blog post. With the help of artificial intelligence, you can adjust the exposure and brightness of your photos. With the Magic Editor can move your objects or even delete them entirely. The features were already available today on Google's latest Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S24 models.

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With the widespread rollout, almost all Android and iOS devices will have access to photo editing functions. Your device must only be running Android 8.0 or iOS 15 (or later) and have at least 3GB of RAM, 4GB is required for the eraser function. Google doesn't charge any additional fees or subscriptions, though Magic Eraser is limited to 10 edits per month if you don't have a valid Google One subscription.

Limited rollout for Chromebooks, none for Windows

The rollout on Chromebooks will be somewhat limited. You must first have a Chromebook Plus device and the software must be updated to ChromeOS 118 or later. But few Chromebooks will be able to meet these conditions.

Google is making a stunning choice to completely ignore Windows. AI functions like Magic Eraser require powerful hardware, and Google apparently doesn't think Windows PCs can handle that, nor even the specific variety that Intel and its partners are marketing as AI computers. Unfortunately for PC owners, photo editing features aren't offered through the web version of Photos either.

Microsoft is working on its own photo editing features for the Windows Photos app. These will be able to run on your Windows PC, although Microsoft isn't always clear on the hardware requirements for the AI.

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