Sony tries to explain that its AI Camera Assistant doesn’t suck

A striking development has emerged in artificial intelligence. Tech TechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. FollowSee All Tech AI AIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. FollowSee All AI Gadgets GadgetsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

FollowSee All GadgetsSony tries to explain that its AI Camera Assistant doesn’t suckThese photos still look terrible. These photos still look terrible. by Terrence O'Brien Terrence O'BrienWeekend EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

Technical Details

FollowSee All by Terrence O'BrienMay 16, 2026, 3:37 PM UTC The variety of terrible is impressive. Image: Sony Terrence O'Brien Terrence O'BrienPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. FollowSee All by Terrence O'Brien is the Verge’s weekend editor.

He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget. After Sony drew some unwanted attention for a post demonstrating its AI Camera Assistant on the Xperia 1 XIII, it’s trying to clarify how the feature works. The company says it doesn’t edit photos, but makes suggestions based on lighting, depth, and subject.

Point the camera at something, and it will give you four options for changing exposure, color, and background blur. In its product video, Sony says that the AI Camera Assistant will also suggest “the most photogenic angle. ” Though the clip only shows it suggesting that someone zoom in, which is not the same as suggesting a camera angle.

Industry Implications

The examples that Sony posted on X, while better than those it posted on May 14th, are still pretty terrible. They’re not as washed out as the sandwich or as over-exposed as the portrait in the meadow. But each suggestion in the grid below has serious issues and looks worse than the original.

Suggestion one is way too saturated, two is flat and over-processed, three makes it look like the food is Photoshopped into the frame, and the contrast in four is cranked way too high. If you’re using an Xperia 1 XIII, your best bet is probably to ignore the AI Camera Assistant’s suggestions for now. Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.

Terrence O'Brien Terrence O'BrienWeekend EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. FollowSee All by Terrence O'Brien AI AIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. FollowSee All AI Cameras CamerasPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

This advance offers important signals about the future of the sector, and the tech world is watching closely.