New Apple AI Model Edits Images Based on Natural Language Input

Apple researchers have released a new open-source AI model that is capable of editing images based on a user's natural language instructions (via VentureBeat).

DALL%C2%B7E apple logo image editing ai

MacRumors image made with DALL·E

Called "MGIE," which stands for MLLM-Guided Image Editing, it uses multimodal large language models (MLLMs) to interpret user requests and perform pixel-level manipulations.

The model is capable of editing various aspects of images. Global photo enhancements can include brightness, contrast, or sharpness, or the application of artistic effects like sketching. Local editing can modify the shape, size, color, or texture of specific regions or objects in an image, while Photoshop-style modifications can include cropping, resizing, rotating, and adding filters, or even changing backgrounds and blending images.

A user input for a photo of a pizza could be to "make it look more healthy." Using common sense reasoning, the model can add vegetable toppings, such as tomatoes and herbs. A global optimization input request might take the form of "add contrast to simulate more light," while a Photoshop-style modification could be made by asking the model to remove people from the background of a photo, shifting the focus of the image to the subject's facial expression.

Apple collaborated with University of California researchers to create MGIE, which was presented in a paper at the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR) 2024. The model is available on GitHub, and includes the code, data, and pre-trained models.

MGIE apple AI model image editing
This is Apple's second breakthrough in AI research in as many months. In late December, Apple revealed that it had made strides in deploying large language models (LLMs) on iPhones and other Apple devices with limited memory by inventing an innovative flash memory utilization technique.

For the last several months, Apple has been testing an "Apple GPT" rival that could compete with ChatGPT. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, work on AI is a priority for Apple, with the company designing an "Ajax" framework for large language models.

Both The Information and analyst Jeff Pu claim that Apple will have some kind of generative AI feature available on the ‌iPhone‌ and iPad around late 2024, which is when iOS 18 will be coming out. iOS 18 is said to include an enhanced version of Siri with ChatGPT-like generative AI functionality, and has the potential to be the "biggest" software update in the iPhone's history, according to Gurman.

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Top Rated Comments

klasma Avatar
15 months ago
Apple really can’t make up their minds, can they?

Attachment Image
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlmightyKang Avatar
15 months ago
Apple as always do something because it has a benefit to the user, not just for the sake of the technology. This is the ML approach we need.

Most of the VC and AI industry are just grifting and trying to sell it as an application for everything and trying to create new markets for it.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AAPLbuyback Avatar
15 months ago

The main imagine is kinda creepy...
Creepy is part of the allure of AI.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThatGuyInLa Avatar
15 months ago
And yet even then we won’t be able to ask Siri, “Turn on kitchen lights and set to 35% and light blue.”

“Play my subscriptions for YouTube on AppleTV.”
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kirky29 Avatar
15 months ago
The main imagine is kinda creepy...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jason2000 Avatar
15 months ago

The new development is that Apple can now do it too, which means that it’s exciting and innovative now.
It's exciting if Apple is bringing this to their photos app. I don't want to have to use Google for this type stuff.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)