Samsung AI Photos: Fun or Fake?

Samsung's Galaxy S26 now features an AI photo editing suite that accepts natural language prompts, building on capabilities seen in Google Photos. While Google's initial AI editing focused on subtle enhancements, Samsung's approach was pitched as a more explicit departure from reality, allowing users to change clothing or add subjects. Early testing indicates Samsung has implemented strong guardrails, preventing the creation of harmful images and making workarounds difficult. However, the quality of the edits is often subpar, leading to cartoonish or unconvincing results. This can result in images like a doctored concert photo with a boy band added, which, while amusing, lacks realism. Samsung's AI editor is more successful with less demanding tasks, such as removing objects from backgrounds or cleaning up minor imperfections in photos for social media. The company acknowledges the blurring definition of photography, with executives grappling with questions about its essence. Samsung's Photo Assist appears designed for minor "white lies" rather than major fabrications, leaving users to decide where the line between tasteful embellishment and "slop" lies.