Google Gemini now lets you create AI-generated images of people — but there's a catch

Google has announced that Gemini, its AI tool that rivals ChatGPT, now supports AI-generated images of people.

The feature was previously available on Gemini, but was disabled in February by Google after users quickly discovered they were able to create disturbing images using the tech giant's AI tool. To prevent exploitative misuse, Google claims that it is implementing strict guardrails.

In addition to this news, the search engine giant said that it's rolling out customized Gems, a new feature that was unveiled at Google I/O.

Gemini now lets users create AI-generated images of people — but there are restrictions

As mentioned at the outset, Google announced that that Gemini users will now have the opportunity to create AI-generated images of people. As it stands now, if you type in a command that attempts to prompt Gemini to create an AI-generated person, you'll get the following message:

"Image generation of people is coming soon to Gemini Advanced. Sign up and get notified when you receive early access at gemini.google/advanced."

Well, the wait is now over. Google said that, over the coming days, users will have the opportunity to use Gemini to create AI-generated images of people. Users with Gemini Advanced, Business, or Enterprise accounts will get early access to the feature.

Google wants to make clear, however, that this isn't a free-for-all. The search engine claims that it has made "technical improvements" to Gemini ahead of the rollout, as well as "improved evaluation sets, red-teaming exercises and clear product principles."

"We don’t support the generation of photorealistic, identifiable individuals, depictions of minors or excessively gory, violent or sexual scenes," said Google Gemini's Senior Director of Product Management David Citron.

Citron went on to say that Google Gemini is imperfect, but the company will continue to keep an eye on user feedback to improve it. For now, Google Gemini's new people-focused AI-generated feature supports prompts in English, but the company has plans to add more languages soon.

Google Gemini runs on Imagen 3. As we reported last week, this Google-developed generative AI model received an upgrade to its capabilities, including improved image quality. Similar to Imagen 2, Imagen 3 uses SynthID, Google's tool for watermarking AI-generated content.

A new personalized Gemini is here

Google unveiled its plans for customized "Gems" (i.e., personalized variants of Gemini) at Google I/O. Here's how Google described Gems in a mid-May blog post:

"You can create any Gem you dream up: a gym buddy, sous chef, coding partner or creative writing guide. They’re easy to set up, too."

Google claims that you can create a customized Gem by telling it what you want it to do and how you want it to respond. For example, you can use a prompt like, "You're my nutrition coach. Give me a daily nutrition plan. Be optimistic, energetic, and inspiring." And just like that, Google Gemini will create a personalized Gem for you that meets your needs.

If you have no idea how you want to customize your Gem, Google said it has created premade Gems for users:

• The Learning Coach — clarifies complex topics

• The Brainstormer — helps you brainstorm creative ideas for inspiration

• The Career Guide — offers advice, recommendations, and plans to achieve your career goals

• The Writing Editor — gives you constructive feedback on your writing

• The Coding Partner — elevates your coding skills

Gems are now rolling out to Gemini Advanced, Gemini Business, and Gemini Enterprise users.