Google updates Pixel Studio app with AI-generated people, sticker enhancements

Google has rolled out a major update to its Pixel Studio app, enabling AI-generated images of people for the first time since its launch. The update, part of Google’s March Pixel Drop, brings new AI capabilities, sticker creation improvements, and expanded language support for the Pixel 9 series.

The Pixel Studio app, introduced in August 2024, is exclusive to the Pixel 9 series and leverages Google’s in-house AI models to generate custom images and stickers based on text or image inputs.

The highlight of this update is the return of AI-generated people, a feature that Google disabled earlier this year after backlash over racial inaccuracies in Gemini’s image generation.

Google restored this functionality after publicly launching the Imagen 3 AI model in December 2024. However, it comes with a key restriction:

    •    Users can only generate images of people using text prompts.
    •    The feature does not support image-based inputs for human generation.

With Google carefully reintroducing this capability, Pixel Studio joins the list of AI-powered platforms integrating responsible image generation tools.

Alongside AI-generated people, the latest Pixel Studio v1.5 update also introduces:

    •    Native support for German and Japanese, expanding its availability beyond English-speaking regions.
    •    A faster sticker creation tool, featuring a new floating action button (FAB) next to the Create and Image Selection button.
    •    This allows users to quickly generate stickers using either a text prompt or an image reference.
    •    A new Light Mode, giving users an alternative to Dark Mode and System Default themes.

This update comes as part of Google’s broader March Pixel Drop, which also includes:

    •    Gemini Live expanding support to 45 languages.
    •    A new “Suggestions” feature in Pixel Screenshots, helping users curate their screenshot collections more efficiently.

For now, the Pixel Studio app remains exclusive to the Pixel 9 series, but with AI advancements continuing, Google may extend its availability to future Pixel models.