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A former Google engineer has created a website that shows what Google’s AI can infer from images uploaded by users. This tool highlights the potential and implications of photo analysis technology, raising questions about privacy and data management.

Key points:

•  Vishnu Mohandas, a former Google engineer, created Theyseeyourphotos.com.  
•  Users can upload photos to find out what Google’s AI can learn from them.  
•  Mohandas founded Ente, a privacy-friendly alternative to Google Photos.  
•  Google uses uploaded photos to train its AI models, with some privacy implications.  

In 2024, a former Google employee launched a website that allows users to find out what the tech giant’s AI is able to learn by analyzing their photos. The site, titled “Theyseeyourphotos.com,” was the brainchild of Vishnu Mohandas, a software engineer who left Google in 2020 after raising concerns about how the company was using its AI technology in the military. The project aims to raise awareness of the risks involved in the handling of personal images by giants like Google by showing in a practical and visible way how its computer vision algorithms can examine the data contained in photographs.

By uploading a photo to the site, the user allows Google’s AI system to generate a detailed description of the image. The result is not just a superficial analysis, but a deep interpretation, capable of identifying objects, people and even very specific details. For example, in the case of Mohandas, who uploaded a selfie with his family, the system identified a Casio F-91W watch worn by his wife. These details are not just technical curiosities, but reveal the power of AI models, which are able to recognize even small details that might seem irrelevant.

This project came about after Mohandas decided to stop using Google Photos services in fear that his images would be exploited to train AI models without his explicit consent. In fact, Google says the uploaded images are used to improve its AI systems, such as those that analyze the location, age, or characteristics of people in photos. Although users can disable some analytics features, it is not possible to completely prevent Google’s access to the images because the data is not end-to-end encrypted.

In addition to creating the site, Mohandas founded “Ente,” a photo archiving service that stands out for its focus on privacy. With Ente, Mohandas’ goal is to offer a more secure and data-friendly solution for users, in stark contrast to Google Photos, which, although very popular, does not allow users to have full control over their images. However, transferring images from Google Photos to Ente is not an easy process-Google compresses and splits files, making it difficult to switch to alternative platforms, something Mohandas sees as a hindering strategy.

Despite privacy and data risks, Google continues to promote its AI as a useful tool for improving the user experience, especially in organizing its photo libraries. Google claims that it does not sell Google Photos data to third parties and that the information is only used to optimize its services, such as improving image search functions or automatically classifying photos. Despite these statements, the idea that photos can be used so extensively and without full privacy protection has prompted many to ponder the implications of these AI systems.

With the launch of “Theyseeyourphotos.com,” Mohandas has offered a concrete tool to show users how penetrating Google’s visual analytics technologies can be, thus inviting greater awareness and, perhaps, a reconsideration of how we manage our images and personal data online.