Owners of low-end and mid-range smartphones often wonder what role AI plays in their device’s camera interface. In the Xiaomi Redmi 9, this feature is built-in by default and activated immediately after the Camera app launches. Many users ignore the “AI” icon, believing it to be just a marketing ploy, but in fact, behind this button lies a complex machine learning algorithm that processes the image in real time.
Artificial intelligence is a digital assistant photographer that automatically analyzes the composition of the frame and objects that are captured in the lens. It recognizes more than twenty different shooting scenarios, from sunset to macro food, instantly selecting optimal exposure, saturation and contrast. Understanding what AI is in the context of your smartphone will allow you to take much better pictures without having to manually twist the settings of professional mode.
The principle of neural network operation in mobile photography
It's based on a computer vision algorithm that can recognize objects on the fly. When you point a Redmi 9 lens at a particular object, the system scans the image, highlights the key elements, and tags the frame accordingly. For example, if green grass and trees appear in the frame, the algorithm will mark the scene as "Plants" and enhance the green color, making the foliage more juicy and vivid.
The processing takes a fraction of a second, thanks to a neuroprocessor built into the MediaTek Helio G80 chipset, which is not just a filter overlaid on top of a finished photo, but a deep adjustment of sensor and software parameters before saving a file. Machine learning allows the system to constantly improve, although in budget models, scenes are usually fixed and updated only with the release of new versions of MIUI firmware.
⚠️ Attention: Activated mode AI may slightly increase the time between shots (shutter delay) as the processor takes time to analyze the scene before the shutter is released.
Not only does the algorithm change colors, it also adjusts the white balance to keep the sky blue and the skin from becoming unnatural, and in some cases, the system may even suggest turning on a flash or switching to night mode if the lighting is not enough to capture a good image.
Scene recognition and automatic optimization
The main task of the AI in Xiaomi Redmi 9 is to determine the type of scene: the camera can distinguish between the sky, water, snow, sunsets, documents, text and even pets. Once the system identifies an object, it applies (preset) settings that are considered ideal for this type of shooting according to the developer database.
For example, when you're shooting a meal, the algorithm will increase the heat of the frame and the saturation of the red and yellow shades to make the dish look more appetizing. If you're photographing documents, the system will try to align the perspective, sharpen the edges of the text and remove the shadows, making the image look like a scan, which is especially useful when you need to quickly photograph a receipt or a page of a book.
It's important to understand that automatic optimization doesn't always give the perfect result from the perspective of a professional photographer. It tends to make the picture "brighter" and "contrast" that sometimes leads to a saturation of colors. However, for social networks and household use, such settings are suitable for most users.
Portrait mode and improvement of faces
The AI in portrait mode deserves special attention, where the neural network segments an object, separating a person from the background to create a bokeh effect. In Redmi 9, this process is quite fast, although in complex lighting or active movement, artifacts can arise along the contour of the hair.
In addition to blurring, artificial intelligence is engaged in face retouching. It can automatically smooth the skin, adjust the tone, add a slight blush, or even change the shape of the face and eye size if the appropriate beauty filters are turned on. This works for both the front and main camera.
- 🧐 Skin smoothing: The algorithm removes small defects while preserving the skin’s texture so that the face doesn’t look like a plastic mask.
- 👤 Gender and age recognition: In some versions, the camera may offer different filters depending on who is in the frame.
- 🎨 Studio lighting: imitation of professional light falling on the face, which adds volume to the portrait.
⚠️ Attention: Excessive use of beauty filters can make a photo unnatural, so it is recommended to set the level of effect on the minimum values (1 or 2).
If there are multiple people in the frame, the system will try to focus on all faces at the same time, although priority is usually given to the object closer to the center or looking at the camera.
Night shooting and HDR algorithms
In low light conditions, the main sensor is physically limited, and software processing comes to the rescue. The Night mode in Xiaomi Redmi 9 uses a multi-frame shooting algorithm. When you press the down button, the camera takes a series of images with different shutter speeds, and then the AI glues them into one final frame.
This process allows you to significantly reduce the level of digital noise and pull details from the dark areas of the frame without overexposing bright light sources such as lights or storefronts. Without the use of artificial intelligence, night photos on budget smartphones would look like dark, grainy spots.
The secret of night photography
AI also works with HDR (High Dynamic Range), which is used to capture multiple frames of varying brightnesses when shooting against light or in contrasting scenes, and combines them to save detail in both shadows and lights. In Redmi 9, this process often happens automatically when the AI HDR option is enabled.
Set-up of parameters and mode management
Controlling AI functions in Redmi 9 is simple and requires no deep knowledge. By default, the "AI" icon is located at the top of the viewfinder screen. Pressing it activates or deactivates scene recognition. When the mode is on, the icon is highlighted, and when you hover over the object, a pop-up prompt with the name of the scene appears.
To fine-tune it, you need to go to the option menu, which is called by clicking on three horizontal bars in the upper right corner, and you can find settings that affect the operation of algorithms, such as watermarks, a framing grid and a shutter.
☑️ Checking camera settings
It’s worth remembering that some AI-related features may consume more CPU resources, which could theoretically lead to faster battery discharge during long shooting, although in practice the difference in Redmi 9 is negligible.
Comparison: With AI and Without AI
To understand the real benefits of AI, it is useful to compare the results of shooting with the modes on and off. The difference is especially noticeable when shooting landscapes, food and portraits in daylight. In automatic mode, colors often look “licked” and bright, whereas without AI, the photo turns out to be flatter and realistic, but sometimes boring.
Below is a table showing the key differences in image processing:
| Parameter | AI on-board mode | AI mode is off |
|---|---|---|
| Flower saturation | Tall, bright. | Natural, calm. |
| Contrast | Enlarged. | Standard. |
| Handling the sky | Clouds highlighted, blue reinforced | Without additional processing |
| Speed of shooting | Maybe a little delay. | Instant snapshot |
💡
AI mode is ideal for fast posting on social networks without further processing, whereas the off mode is better suited for further retouching in editors.
The choice between these modes depends on your creative tasks. If you need a “ready” photo in a second, leave AI. If you plan to process photos in Lightroom or Snapseed, you better shoot in normal mode to maintain a natural dynamic range.