New Gemini Image Generation Updates | Gen AI | BYU-Idaho

### New AI Image Models & Some Caution

The world of AI is changing fast, and new tools are making it easier than ever to create and edit images. Image generators also expand our capacity to create new visual information or edit photos and images. The power of these tools is making it harder than ever to tell what's real and what's generated online. We want to highlight some of the most exciting new abilities, especially with tools like Google's Gemini, and also offer an important word of warning.

### Reviving Your Family History

AI is becoming a powerful new tool for family history. With a few simple commands, you can now:

- ****Restore Old Photos:**** Do you have old family pictures with scratches, tears, or faded colors? AI can now intelligently repair that damage. It can analyze the photo and fill in the missing parts, making your ancestors' faces clear and your memories sharp again.
- ****Add Color to the Past:**** AI can take a black-and-white photo and add realistic color, making those moments feel more personal and alive.
- ****Remove Flaws and Distractions:**** Do your pictures have people or objects that don't belong in the photo? Ask AI to remove them and keep the rest of the photo as is.

These features make it easier for anyone--not just a professional--to preserve and share their family's story in a way that feels fresh and engaging.

### Smarter Images, Consistent Creations

Beyond restoring old photos, AI image generators are now much more precise. Two key improvements stand out:

- ****Better Text:**** Have you ever seen AI-generated images with weird, jumbled letters? That's a thing of the past. New tools can now create clear, readable text directly on an image. This is a game-changer for creating simple flyers, signs, or graphics without needing complex design software.
- ****Consistent Objects & Characters:**** It's now possible to upload a picture of yourself or a product and have it look the same in different scenes or poses. All you need to do is upload a picture of yourself, then ask the AI to change your clothes, your background, remove a distracting object, etc. This is a big step forward for telling a story with images, whether for a school project or a creative hobby.

### A Crucial Note of Caution

With all this power comes a serious responsibility. The same tools that can restore a family photo can also be used to create fakes.

- ****The Problem of Deception:**** It is becoming almost impossible for the average person to tell the difference between a real photograph and an AI-generated one. This technology can be used to create deepfakes--realistic fake images or videos of people doing or saying things they never did. (Ephesians 4:25 "Wherefore putting away lying⁠, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.")
- ****The Reality of Social Media:**** A significant and growing number of images you see online are not real. According to some studies, as many as 70% of all images on social media are now generated by AI, and that number is projected to rise to 90% in 2026. At best, the goal of these images is to get attention and clicks; at worst, to mislead the public. Social media has always been prone to the issue of presenting viewers with "curated" rather than "candid" information. Image generators are amplifying this kind of bias toward unrealistic portrayals of life and experience. This makes it more important than ever to be a careful and critical consumer of information.

As you explore these amazing new tools, please remember to use them responsibly. We encourage you to be aware of the content you create and consume online. Remember Elder Bednar's prophetic counsel: **"The righteous possibilities of this amazing technological tool can be realized only if we are aware of and guard against its perils."** By understanding both the creative potential and the risks, we can all navigate the future of digital media more safely.