Maybe you’ve already heard of Photoshop’s new “Generative Expand” feature that allows users to “expand images in any direction and generate an additional scene for the space with a combination of traditional app tools and AI.” Most of the examples of use cases for this feature involve filling in background details or fixing a photo that was unintentionally cropped too closely. The potential future uses for this technology, though, are worth considering.
What happens when AI expands images from history to perhaps add details of people or elements that never happened? Or how might family histories be retold or reinvented by expanded details in old family photos that bring new truths to light? What about vacation photos that can be filled in with context or details of things that were never part of the original experience? Though seemingly innocent, this “expand” feature could end up doing much more than creating new backgrounds. It might generate backstories that people believe and accept as truth even though they never happened.
Will Photoshop’s New Expand Feature Lead to False Memories or Realities?
