To improve speed, especially for simple searches, Google said it has combined old search technology in Google Photos with the new Ask Photos. Thanks to that, the application can return familiar image recognition results first, then display additional in-depth feedback from the Gemini AI model when processing is complete.
Ask Photos was announced at the Google I/O 2024 event, allowing users to search for photos in the library using natural language. This feature also suggests information you may not remember, such as the restaurant name on a specific occasion.
Google started deploying Ask Photos in September 2024, but the first version was judged to be slow, annoying and completely replacing traditional search engines. Now, Google has chosen a combined approach, both keeping results fast and adding AI-powered answers when ready.
With this improvement, Google expects Ask Photos to become a more intuitive, smarter image search engine in the booming era of digital photography. The combination of traditional processing speed and artificial intelligence also shows a new direction in personalizing the photo management experience for users.
