TechPhonesAndroid PhonesWith Google Pixel 8 Pro, the camera always lies - and that’s scaryGoogle’s new Pixel phone can produce photos of things that never happened and bend the very fabric of reality. No biggieWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechPhonesAndroid PhonesWith Google Pixel 8 Pro, the camera always lies - and that’s scaryGoogle’s new Pixel phone can produce photos of things that never happened and bend the very fabric of reality. No biggieWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Google’s new Pixel phone can produce photos of things that never happened and bend the very fabric of reality. No biggie
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Google)
(Image credit: Google)
The newGoogle Pixel8 Pro brings a whole host of improvements, which we’ve described in ourGoogle Pixel 8 Pro vs Pixel 7 Proguide. Among the most important are the camera improvements, which make use of AI and machine learning like never before. And I think that’s quite scary, because with the Pixel Pro 8 you can take photos of things that aren’t there and effectively make deepfakes of yourself. The term “the camera never lies” has been looking pretty shaky for years now, and the Pixel Pro 8 could confine it to the dustbin.
You can see the new tech in action in features such as Best Take, which takes multiple shots of a scene and creates a new, better one. The key here is that it doesn’t just pick the best of a bunch to find and optimise the best shot. It takes bits from each of them to create a new composite image from all of them.
I can see the appeal: many of my wedding photos are awful, with poorly timed shots making my father-in-law in particular look like he’s having some kind of serious medical incident. But it’s pretty creepy too. And that’s just the beginning.
How the Pixel 8 Pro messes with reality
We’re familiar with Magic Eraser, a handy tool that enables you to remove things you don’t want – so for example you can remove an accidental photobomb in an otherwise perfect photo. And the newMagic Audio Eraserdoes the same for your video soundtracks. But the Pixel 8 Pro goes further. Not only can it remove things that are there, but it can create photos of things that never happened.
The feature’s called Magic Editor, and while it’s still in its infancy the potential is enormous. One of the demos showed a photo of a person throwing a basketball from the ground; Google took them, cut them out and repositioned them so it looked like they were doing a dunk from a flying leap. Clever, undoubtedly. But this is way beyond a little bit of a touch-up. This is changing reality.
For now it looks like this feature is limited to the image you’re editing. But what if you could create a realistic photo album showing you in places you’ve never been, doing things you’ve never done, capturing moments that never existed? And more worryingly, what if someone else like an estranged ex did it with photos of you?
This tech isn’t new, I know. Photoshop does some incredible things with AI, and in the right hands photo editing software is capable of incredible fakery. I assume most of what I see on Instagram is faked or at the very least heavily edited But this, being able to do it on your phone without having to know what you’re doing, feels like a shift. And I’m worried about what it’s capable of.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
These open-ear headphones could light up your life (and your ears)Samsung isn’t the only tech firm that wants to illuminate your lugs
Samsung isn’t the only tech firm that wants to illuminate your lugs
Forget spotlights – EZVIZ’s new outdoor security camera excels in low-light detectionIt delivers high-res footage without the need for additional lighting
It delivers high-res footage without the need for additional lighting
