Amazon has entered the realm of AI-powered image generation with the launch of the Titan Image Generator, showcased at the AWS re:Invent 2023 conference. This move places Amazon among the many tech giants and startups that have ventured into this space.

During the event, Swami Sivasubramanian, AWS executive, presented the Titan Image Generator, part of Amazon’s Titan family of generative AI models. The tool, available for preview on AWS’s AI development platform, Bedrock, enables users to create new images based on text descriptions or modify existing ones.

Sivasubramanian demonstrated the capabilities of the Titan Image Generator, emphasizing its capacity to easily change image backgrounds. He highlighted its ability to seamlessly swap backgrounds, allowing users to generate lifestyle images while retaining the main subject and creating multiple options.

Swami Sivasubramanian, VP for data and machine learning services at AWS said onstage, “[You] can use the model to easily swap out an existing [image] background to a background of a rainforest [for example]”, “[and you] can use the model to seamlessly swap out backgrounds to generate lifestyle images, all while retaining the main subject of the image and to create a few more options.”

Amazon states that the Titan Image Generator has been trained on diverse datasets across various domains. Users can fine-tune the model on custom datasets and benefit from built-in measures for toxicity and bias. However, the origin of these datasets remains undisclosed, raising questions about permissions and compensation for creators.

Addressing copyright concerns, Sivasubramanian assured users that Amazon would protect customers accused of violating copyright with images generated by the Titan Image Generator. This aligns with Amazon’s AI indemnification policy, offering reassurance to AWS customers.

Additionally, images generated by the Titan Image Generator will feature a default “tamper-resistant” invisible watermark. This is an attempt to mitigate the spread of AI-generated misinformation and abusive imagery, aligning with Amazon’s commitment to AI ethics.

While details about the watermarking technique remain unclear, Sivasubramanian mentioned that it is part of the voluntary commitment to AI ethics that Amazon signed with the White House in July.

As Amazon expands its AI offerings, the Titan Image Generator marks a significant step into the competitive landscape of generative AI models, addressing both creative and ethical considerations.