The approach can use reference photos if they're available, but it can turn to statistical models if there's no ideal target photo.

The result is a neural network system that "closely" replicates the mean scores of humans when judging photos. That, in turn, has all kinds of implications for photography apps. To begin with, it could help you quickly find your best photos while avoiding blurry or poorly composed shots. Google adds that it'd be helpful for editing, too, as you could use it to tune automatic editing tools. Your favorite editing app could tweak exposure, brightness and other details based on artistic appeal rather than arbitrary values. While there's a lot of work to be done, this hints at a day when your phone could have as discerning a taste in photos as you do.