Google Delays Rollout of ‘Ask Photos’ AI Search Feature Citing Quality Concerns

Google has announced a delay in the public rollout of its highly anticipated “Ask Photos” feature. Jamie Aspinall, Google Photos product manager, communicated the decision via a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the delay is approximately two weeks. [1]

According to Aspinall, the current version of the “Ask Photos” feature does not meet Google’s standards for latency, overall quality, and user experience. While some users may already have access to a preliminary version, the updated and improved iteration is expected to be released in approximately two weeks to address the identified shortcomings.

The “Ask Photos” feature, powered by Google’s Gemini AI model, was initially unveiled at last year’s Google I/O developer conference. The AI-driven functionality is designed to allow users to search their Google Photos libraries using natural language prompts, making it easier to find specific images based on descriptive queries. [2]

Aspinall provided an illustrative example of the feature’s potential, suggesting that users could ask the AI to curate “one great photo from each of their visits to a National Park.” [3] This capability aims to streamline photo organization and retrieval by leveraging the power of AI to understand and process complex user requests.

The delay underscores Google’s commitment to delivering a high-quality user experience, even if it means postponing a highly anticipated feature. Users eager to leverage the new AI search capabilities in Google Photos will have to wait a bit longer for the improved version to become available.

Google has not yet provided additional comments beyond the statement made by Jamie Aspinall on X.