Apple has unveiled a groundbreaking AI-powered image editing tool that allows users to describe desired changes to a photograph using simple language, eliminating the need for traditional photo editing software. Named MGIE (MLLM-Guided Image Editing), the innovative model is the result of a collaboration between Apple and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Capable of performing various editing tasks such as cropping, resizing, flipping, and applying filters solely through text prompts, MGIE represents a significant leap forward in image editing technology. This advancement enables users to handle both straightforward and intricate editing requests, including altering specific objects within a photo or enhancing brightness levels.

MGIE utilizes multimodal language models to interpret user prompts and generate corresponding edits. For example, a request for a "bluer sky" would result in adjusting the brightness of the sky portion of an image. This approach ensures precise interpretation and execution of editing instructions.

In their release statement, the researchers highlighted MGIE's ability to derive explicit visual-aware intentions, leading to meaningful image enhancements. Extensive studies have validated MGIE's effectiveness across various editing scenarios, emphasizing its improved performance while maintaining competitive efficiency. The researchers envision the MLLM-guided framework contributing to future advancements in vision-and-language research.

Apple has made MGIE available for download via GitHub, with a web demo also accessible on Hugging Face Spaces. However, the company has not disclosed its plans for the model beyond research purposes.

While some image generation platforms like OpenAI's DALL-E 3 offer similar capabilities, and Adobe's Firefly AI model powers generative fill in its Photoshop software, Apple's entry into the generative AI space underscores its commitment to integrating advanced AI features into its products. CEO Tim Cook has previously expressed the company's intention to expand AI functionalities across its devices, with recent efforts including the release of the open-source machine learning framework MLX in December, aimed at facilitating AI model training on Apple Silicon chips.