Artificial intelligence (AI) has already modified the way in which we work and communicate. Now additionally it is finding its way into our pockets.
Apple has launched its iPhone 16 on 9 September 2024 and Google has introduced its Pixel 9 Smartphones on August 13. Both are daring examples of how AI is merging with consumer devices.
As AI moves from the cloud into our hands, these phones offer a glimpse into the potential – and risks – of this powerful technology evolving right into a day by day companion.
A key feature of Google and Apple phones is their ability to change reality – or more precisely, our perception of it. The technology corporations have latest camera functions that allow users to edit images and videos in ways previously reserved just for professionals.
New AI features on the Pixel 9 include Add Me, which allows a user to put themselves in a photograph by taking one other picture in the identical spot and stitching the photographs together using augmented reality and AI. The Magic Editor tool uses AI to rearrange the composition of a picture and adjust the positions of individuals.
And the Reimagine feature lets consumers change the background of a picture by entering a text prompt.
Meanwhile, Apple's iPhone 16 includes AI under the banner of what the corporate calls Apple Intelligence. It includes writing tools, an improved version of the Siri virtual assistant, and a feature that lets users seek for things just by taking a photograph. Like the Pixel 9, the iPhone 16 includes photo editing tools like “Clean Up,” which helps you to remove unwanted objects out of your images.
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 phone, launched in early 2024, also features numerous AI-powered photo editing Features.
The democratization of powerful image editing tools is impressive, however it also raises serious ethical concerns.
Risk of misinformation
We are discussing this at a time when misinformation is widespread. In principle, it is feasible that AI-powered tools designed for photo editing might be infiltrated to blur the lines between reality and fiction even further.
Such tools could, depending on their capabilities, facilitate the creation of images or videos that represent events that never happened. While this skill could also be fun for private use, it has broader implications for politics and society.
We have already seen how manipulated images and videos can fuel political controversy – just consider the official photos of Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president in 2017. have been edited to make the gang appear largerNow imagine a world where anyone can create convincing deepfake images – and possibly eventually videos – with just a couple of taps on their phone.
While the subject is usually discussed within the context of massive investments by corporations in training large language models (the technology underlying chatbots like ChatGPT), the best impact of AI will likely come from its integration into on a regular basis devices.
This is AI for the masses – powerful, accessible and within the hands of anyone who can afford the devices. The iPhone 16 and Google Pixel 9 cost $799 (£604) for the usual versions and begin at $1,500 (£1,136) for models with more features.
CLEMENS BILAN / EPA PICTURES
Google's move also signals a brand new phase within the arms race between the large players within the smartphone market. Google has long been a frontrunner in web search but a laggard in technical hardware. The Pixel 9's latest AI features will strengthen its position within the latter area.
With Apple greater than 50% of the US marketthe corporate is under pressure to take care of its position with the AI-enabled iPhone 16. It is probably going that we’ll soon see other competitors, including Samsung and Chinese brands, introducing more AI-enabled features. This is the brand new normal: AI capabilities have gotten a serious battleground within the competition for consumers.
This also raises questions on the longer term of industries that depend on content creation. With powerful image and video editing tools now available in everyone’s pocket, What will occur to skilled photographers and editors?
While AI may not yet have the ability to match the creative vision of an expert, it does pose a challenge to their livelihood. Companies may find it more cost effective to depend on AI-generated content than to rent expert staff, resulting in a restructuring of the labor market.
The latest standard for AI is currently being defined. Technology corporations that want to ascertain themselves as market leaders must due to this fact quickly integrate these technologies into their products or risk being left behind.
But the combination of AI into smartphones raises much more ethical questions. Many younger consumers can have their first tangible experience with AI through features built into the devices they use daily. Are we ready for this level of AI within the hands of our youngsters?
Teenagers particularly must learn to grasp the ability these latest tools give them. Schools and families need to debate the responsible use of AI, especially within the context of image editing, the impact on our perception of reality and the potential impact on mental health.
We have already seen the harmful effects of edited images on social media,
contribute to problems similar to body dysmorphia and depression. As AI makes such a editing much more accessible, these problems could grow to be more severe.
