‘Most likely, you won’t see it on a Leica M camera’: Leica hints that generative AI tools like Gemini Omni are at odds with its photography heritage, but says they ‘make perfect sense’ for phones like the Xiaomi 17T Pro

The Gemini logo next to a Leica camera being held in the hand.

These days, it’s not uncommon for phones to share two big selling points: a partnership with a trusted photography brand and flashy AI features. The Xiaomi 17T Pro, launched this week in Vienna, is no different, boasting Leica-tuned cameras and fresh new AI skills from Google's text-to-video tool, Gemini Omni.

Of course, Leica is a storied brand with 157 years of history — so how does Omni's presence on the Xiaomi 17T Pro sit with this photography heritage?

At a post-launch roundtable attended by TechRadar, the German camera giant — which has been collaborating with Xiaomi since 2022 — shared its take on the utility of generative AI, and its remarks were decidedly diplomatic.