“Samsung, Save Me from Gemini’s Camera Advice!”

Listen, I’m not a professional photographer, but I belong to Gen Z. I can capture a decent photo. However, soon my abilities might not satisfy Samsung’s latest Galaxy S25 collection, which introduces a novel photography assistance feature powered by Gemini Live AI. 

Unveiled on Wednesday at Samsung’s Unpacked event, this new functionality originates from Google Gemini, and it’s essentially created to act as a personalized AI companion. Sissie Hsiao, Google’s VP of Gemini experiences, demonstrated the new multimodal features and showcased how S25 users can engage with Gemini regarding a YouTube video or a snapshot from their gallery.

One aspect that Hsiao highlighted was the capability to utilize AI as a virtual photo assistant, posing inquiries about enhancing the image through editing.

You know that friend who, whenever you present them a photograph, comments something like, “Yeah, that’s wonderful, but it could have been better if you had done this instead”? That’s the impression I got from Gemini Live photo assist.

Numerous other significant announcements were made during the keynote, covering all the fresh hardware enhancements in the cameras along with new video and photo editing features set to arrive in the latest line of Galaxy smartphones. Yet, this AI photo assist particularly caught my attention as it feels… odd. Perhaps redundant? Certainly a bit patronizing. If I’ve already snapped the picture, why would I seek an AI’s perspective on it afterward?

The fundamental assumption that AI understands better than I do what image I desire is misguided. I may be an amateur photographer, but I am aware of what I want. Samsung and Google’s assertion that Gemini Live can assist you in becoming a better photographer holds some truth in that the AI can clarify more intricate editing jargon. However, I hesitate to trust an AI’s judgment over what constitutes good art compared to any human. More importantly, I wish to enhance my photography skills through interactions with others, whether friends or experts, and through good old-fashioned trial and error.

Samsung and Google are also presuming that we desire more AI involvement in our smartphones and in our photography process, which I do not believe is necessarily the case. From a mobile standpoint, a CNET survey revealed that merely 18% of individuals are upgrading for new AI capabilities. AI has been integrating into photo and video editing for quite some time. However, whether it’s generative AI within editing programs or outright creation with AI image generators, AI remains undeniably one of the most debated subjects in the industry.

For Samsung, the question lies in how effective photo assist eventually proves to be. However, based on the brief demonstration observed in the keynote, where the advice Gemini provided to the photographer was, “Try capturing images on a sunny day. If you can’t wait for more favorable conditions, consider editing the photo afterward,” I’m not optimistic.