Mobile photo-editing powerhouse VSCO is launching a new suite of tools powered by artificial intelligence – and the first is a Remove tool that fills in the gaps without affecting the image’s resolution. Announced on October 15, VSCO’s AI Lab is a new tab in the brand’s online VSCO Studio that’s poised to house its new AI tools.
The first tool coming to AI Lab at launch is Remove, an AI-powered tool that helps fill in the gaps left behind when removing distractions from a photograph. VSCO says this tool works by selecting the object to remove with a brush, lasso, or the tap-to-select tool. AI then fills in the gap, using content-aware region detection, with the option to regenerate if the first result isn’t quite right.
VSCO says that the AI-powered tool doesn’t impact the image’s final resolution and that RAW files are supported as well. VSCO Studio creates a copy of the image to preserve the original. Users can then go on to use the app’s other editing tools as needed.
“Since our inception, VSCO has supported authentic creative expression and has provided photographers with many ways to achieve their desired success,” Eric Wittman, CEO of VSCO, said. “We see how much AI is impacting photography, and are focused on bringing AI tools to our community that are designed specifically to support photographers in achieving creative excellence while respecting the art of their photography."
VSCO’s AI lab uses Black Forest Lab’s Flux.1 Kontext model but mixes that AI with “proprietary, purpose-built technology.” Flux.1 is known for having an advantage in contextual understanding, which means the model can better understand the surroundings of an image to match it. The AI model is also known for its photo-realistic generations. (Along with Nanao Banana, Flux.1 launched as a third-party option in a beta version of Photoshop last month.
Black Forest Labs, however, doesn’t explicitly disclose where the training data from Flux.1 comes from, which makes it unclear if the training data set uses copyrighted material. VSCO’s content creator standards indicate that “[i]f you are a non-paying Creator on VSCO, your Public Creator Content may be used to develop, train, and improve generative AI models.” But, with AI Labs, VSCO isn't using their own training data.
"We didn't use our own training data as a part of the Flux.1 Kontext model that we applied here," said Chris Haire, CTO of VSCO. "AI Lab is built with a layer of our own proprietary computer vision technology on top of the Flux.1 Kontext model to ensure as much of the original image is preserved. VSCO's tech combines intelligent area detection and seamless blending to produce natural, resolution-safe edits that respect the integrity of the image."
The Remove tool is only the first tool coming to VSCO’s new dedicated AI Lab. The company says that an upscaling tool will launch “soon.” VSCO says that Upscale is designed to enhance resolution and sharpness while still preserving colors and composition.
The AI Lab is arriving first to iOS users on VSCO Studio, the brand’s web-based photo editor. AI Lab is also a feature exclusive to paid VSCO Pro members.
While the announcement gives AI tools a new home on VSCO Studio, the launch isn’t the platform’s first foray into AI. VSCO’s For This Photo preset recommendations are AI-based. The company also launched VSCO Canvas, an AI moodboard app, earlier this year.
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