I don’t require AI to take the place of human pastimes and talents, but perhaps this feature won’t do so.
The Google Pixel 10 series could represent the inaugural range of genuine AI smartphones. Other manufacturers have attempted to assert this title previously, yet they have not succeeded in providing a next-level experience. I have faith that the Google Pixel 10 will alter that narrative.
With the multimodal Gemini Live, a Tensor G5 processor capable of operating on-device AI models, and a Magic Cue feature that offers assistance without the user having to request it, the Pixel 10 stands as the most comprehensive AI smartphone thus far. While those previously mentioned features are impressive, they also feel somewhat familiar.
If you’re yearning for something entirely fresh, look no further than Camera Coach. It treads a delicate line between artificial intelligence guidance and photo enhancement. Instead of relying on Google Photos or Magic Editor to improve an image post-capture, Camera Coach provides you with advice on how to elevate your results before you hit the shutter button.
As an enthusiast of mobile photography, I’m captivated by Camera Coach. I don’t wish for AI to overshadow the art of taking pictures, but Camera Coach has the potential to serve as an educational resource unlike anything we’ve encountered before. When utilized correctly, it could make photography more attainable for the general public.
How Camera Coach operates
Camera Coach is a generative AI tool making its debut in preview alongside the Google Pixel 10 series. It operates on bespoke Gemini models fine-tuned for photography suggestions. While some processing may happen on-device, a disclaimer states that “when you utilize Camera Coach, the scene’s contents will be transmitted to Google for processing and subsequently erased.”
Transferring some AI workload from your device to Google’s cloud servers is neither novel nor unexpected. It brings advantages, such as conserving your phone’s battery life for essential tasks. However, you might want to think carefully about what you share with Camera Coach due to privacy concerns, even if the data is ultimately deleted from Google’s servers.
Camera Coach is deactivated by default. Once activated, it employs AI models to assess the scene you’re aiming to capture with contextual understanding. After it comprehends the scene, Camera Coach offers suggestions regarding various elements of the shot, such as composition, framing, and lighting. All of this occurs prior to you taking the photo, ensuring that the photographer retains full control.
Camera Coach democratizes proficient photography
I’m instinctively reluctant to allow AI to infiltrate creativity and the arts, but let’s face it, photography is not the easiest craft to master. I possess a Sony a6400 mirrorless camera for professional and recreational use, although I wouldn’t classify myself as an exceptional photographer. The price of a high-quality camera like that creates a significant entry barrier, and mastering its use is another considerable challenge. It’s one that I openly admit I haven’t dedicated the time to conquer yet.
This fundamental idea is what altered my perspective on Camera Coach after I was initially skeptical about the feature. Photography is a challenging skill to acquire, and not everyone has the leisure to learn it. We’ve all come across sayings like “it’s the photographer, not the camera that captures the photograph” — and they’re all valid. That’s precisely why there’s a necessity for something like Camera Coach to be available.
Smartphones already excel as cameras, and they perform so well that the skills of smartphone users now require enhancement, rather than hardware specifications.
AI might act as a superior photography instructor in real-time, utilizing actual scenes to educate Pixel 10 owners about concepts such as composition and lighting. Camera Coach can recommend adjustments, like repositioning the subject or leveraging optical zoom to benefit the photographer. It may even generate entirely new shot ideas simply by analyzing your environment.
If you’re passionate about photography, you’ve likely grimaced at the images taken with smartphones by your friends and relatives. You understand that tilting the camera lens slightly up or down could have dramatically improved the photo — but they don’t. Camera Coach certainly appears to be a solution to this dilemma, effectively serving as a photography instructor you can keep in your pocket.
Camera Coach is only beneficial if you learn from it
If Camera Coach facilitates photography to become more accessible for the broader public, I’m fully in support. I despise hindering hobbies and skills, and capturing photos correctly is quite challenging. I would love to see Pixel 10 users experiment with Camera Coach for, let’s say, a month. Afterward, those same users should ideally have acquired enough knowledge to begin applying Camera Coach principles autonomously.
I would be dishonest if I claimed I didn’t fear individuals might use Camera Coach as a crutch rather than an educational tool. In that scenario, we could forfeit skills due to AI, instead of acquiring them. Camera Coach isn’t fundamentally detrimental — in fact, it might be exceptional — but it’s our responsibility to wield it correctly.
