Google Lens identifies skin conditions

Google Lens is a standard app that uses the camera of Android phones to recognize images. Google Lens uses AI for image recognition. For example, Google Lens can be used to provide more information about a building or landmark or it can be used to translate street signs or a menu.
Now Lens can also be used to recognize irregularities or disorders of the skin. Google does warn that the tool is "only informative and does not diagnose" and that you should see a doctor for further advice. But it indicates that Lens is useful for looking up certain things, such as a strange mole or rash, that would otherwise be difficult to put into words.

Privacy?

Google has tried to use artificial intelligence to diagnose skin conditions before. In 2021, it released a tool called 'DermAssist'. Google says it sees billions of skin-related searches every year. DermAssist is built to help with that, although this tool also includes a disclaimer stating that it is for informational purposes only and not a medical diagnosis.

Since DermAssist specifically targets medical conditions, this tool is subject to strict regulations. Therefore, Google has still only made DermAssist available in a limited release and is still asking volunteers to sign up to take part in tests.
To use DermAssist, users must answer a few questions and upload three photos. Lens, on the other hand, seems to simply use Google's algorithms to match one photo with similar images of skin conditions, giving an indication of what that condition might be. The question remains, of course, whether you want to share problems with your skin with Google, because it is of course very easy to link a photo to the Google account that you need for your phone. Then, when you see advertisements for skin ointments, you know enough…