Google stops AI-driven photo printing within Photos service

Google will turn off the option to let the Photos service independently select photos for a photo book. The AI-driven selection of photos will no longer be usable from the end of this month, but there may be a sequel.

The discontinuation of the service was not widely announced as it was still a test, but customers who used it have been told by Google that it is coming to an end, the website Droid Life reports. From June 30, customers will no longer receive automated printed photos at home.

In an email to customers, Google says it learned a lot from the test, which cost American customers $8 a month to get 10 printed photos sent to their home. Those photos were automatically chosen from the Photos library by artificial intelligence. The internet giant says it has ideas about improvements to the service that could become available in a wider rollout, but no further details have been released.

The idea was for Google’s artificial intelligence to automatically select the best photos that were then printed on photo paper. The software model emphasized the faces and landscapes, or a combination, that were recognized in the photos.

It is still unclear whether AI-driven printing of photos from the Photos library will return. Google more often tests new services that it later discontinues. It is also not known how many people used the paid service.