Free online tool helps you automatically remove backgrounds from photos

Editing the backgrounds out of photos usually involves downloading software like Photoshop, but one web consultant and developer has come up with a free online solution. Appropriately named remove.bg, Benjamin’s Groessing’s new website will help you automatically remove backgrounds from photos and bring out your inner graphic designer.

Today I'm launching https://t.co/PX30RBnfSm – a tool to automatically remove the background of any image (with a person in it) ????Built with python, ruby & deep learning with @davidfankhauser – AMA

— Benjamin Groessing (@begroe) December 17, 2018

The free service is entirely automatic, and there is no need to manually select the background or foreground layers to separate them. Images can be uploaded in any resolution, but the output result will be limited to 500 x 500 pixels. All it takes is to select your image, and then download the result with the background removed within five seconds. Though the service currently only works for photos with persons or faces, it is powered by “sophisticated A.I. technology,” and there are also several algorithms running in the background which helps improve the finest details in the end output.

“It’s a custom algorithm with multiple stages. Basically, we classify image regions around persons with A.I., then optimize the results to improve the edges. Perhaps we’ll write more about it in the future if there’s interest,” explained Grossing in a tweet.

The potential of this website is huge, and Groessing writes that an API is also in the works. Developers interested in using remove.bg on their website or apps can sign up for a beta, or join a mailing list to find out when the API will be released. Privacy also seems to be a concern, but the service is assuring users that images are uploaded using SSL and TLS encryption. Images are processed and stored temporarily, and then deleted after an hour. ” We do not share your images or use them for any other purpose than removing the background and letting you download the result,” notes an about page for remove.bg.

This service has proven to be quite popular, and some changes are in the works for the future. A blog post comment notes that support for higher resolution images is in the works. The team behind remove.bg is also looking for more partners for feedback and testing on the API.

We’ve previously seen Google use similar technology in its Photos app to simplify editing and the sharing of images, so this is again proof how powerful artificial intelligence can be.