Allgemeines Diskussions-Forum » Google Photos adds smarter sharing

Google today will begin rolling out new sharing functionality in Google Photos, first unveiled at the company’s I/O developer conference in May. Specifically, it’s launching the AI-powered Suggested video production service Sharing feature along with Shared Libraries, both of which are designed to make the Google Photos app a more social experience, rather than just a personal collection of photo memories.

Companies for years have tried to figure out ways to leverage technology in order to get users to share the photos snapped on their smartphone with others.

Early apps like Flock (which Google bought) tried using location to tie different sets of photos together, even when they lived on different people’s phones; others like Bundle and Cluster aimed to better organize photos into albums, thinking that would solve the sharing problem; and others still tried to mimic texting as means of improving photo sharing. None really found traction, and even closed.

The most progress in this area has instead emerged from companies like Facebook and Google, thanks to their use of technologies like facial recognition and AI, combined with sizable user bases that mean you don’t have to rebuild your social network in some startup’s new app.

Facebook, for example, has Moments, which figures out who’s in the photos on your phone, groups them into albums, then prompts you to share those photos with a click.

Google, on the other hand, has Google Photos – a tool for backing up and storing your photos in its cloud, that’s also augmented by a powerful virtual assistant. The assistant does things like turn your photos into collages, animations, and movies; create stylized photos; offer a look back on memories past; organize photos into albums; and more.