AI Item Assist
Photo-based Field Suggestions
AI Item Assist can look at an item’s photos and suggest values for selected fields, such as a name, description, or category. It is an optional aid: suggestions can be wrong or incomplete, and you choose which suggestions to keep.
Understand the photo privacy exception
AI labeling sends selected item photos out of the device for analysis. The app loads the photo from local storage, then sends its image data to the Family Treasures cloud service. The service sends it to a third-party AI provider and returns suggested text. The photo is not sent encrypted with the Trove’s encryption key. This is a significant exception to the usual protection for encrypted Trove content, where data is decrypted on your device and readable content does not leave the device.
“Unencrypted” here means the photo is not protected by the Trove’s end-to-end encryption while being processed by the cloud AI service. Images sent for AI analysis are not stored or used for training. Do not use AI Assist for a photo you are not willing to share with the cloud service and AI provider. You can leave AI turned off or opt out at any time, either at the Trove or individual user level.
Why are there separate user and Trove opt-in switches?
Both switches must be on because they represent two different choices:
- Your account choice: In Account → Preferences → AI Features, you allow AI to analyze Trove item photos that you interact with. This is your personal consent and applies when you use AI features.
- The Trove choice: In the Trove’s Settings, an Owner or Administrator enables AI Assist for that Trove. A Trove may contain photos shared with other members, so its managers decide whether AI analysis is appropriate for that collection.
Either choice can keep the feature off. Cloud Sync must also be enabled for the Trove, you need Editor permission or higher to change items, the site must have AI available, and you must be online. Sample Troves and local-only Troves cannot use this cloud feature. If AI is unavailable, the site may have disabled it or an account may have a temporary or permanent restriction due to detected abuse of the feature.
Fields enabled by default
In the built-in Treasure item type, AI suggestions are enabled by default for Name, Description, and Category. Other built-in types, including Memory, Document, and Person, do not enable fields for AI assistance by default. The item type definition controls which fields AI can suggest; a field that is not enabled will not receive a suggestion.
Enable AI suggestions on another field
- Open the Trove’s Item Types editor and expand the item type you want to change. Owners and Administrators can manage item type definitions.
- Find the field, or add a field if needed. Check Suggest with AI in that field’s AI Assist column.
- Write a short, specific instruction in What should the AI look for? The instruction should say exactly what value belongs in the field and, when useful, where to find it in the photo.
- Save the item type changes. The field will then be included in AI suggestions for items of that type.
Look at how the built-in Treasure fields are configured for examples. A useful hint is focused and answerable from a photo. For example: “The maker’s name, as printed on the label” is clearer than “More information.” If the field has a special format, say what format to use, such as a four-digit year or a short title. Category fields should use a category set whose choices make sense for the item type.
Use and review suggestions
- Add one or more photos to the item in the item editor. An AI Assist button appears when the eligibility requirements are met and the item has at least one usable photo.
- Select AI Assist. On first use, review the disclaimer and choose Accept & Get Suggestions to continue. The request uses up to four photos from each image field, along with the enabled field labels and instructions.
- Review each suggested value. Accept only the values you want to apply; ignore the rest. Check names, dates, category choices, and any text carefully against the original photo.
- Save the item after applying the suggestions.
AI may misread blurry text, infer details that are not visible, or return an unsuitable value. For a good result, use clear photos that show the relevant details, give each enabled field a precise instruction, and treat every suggestion as a draft for a person to verify.