AI-generated image wins a photography competition—but is it really?
Imagine a world where an AI-generated image secures first place in a prestigious photography contest. Once a far-off possibility, this scenario has become reality at the Sony World Photography Awards, organised by the World Photography Organisation. Berlin-based photomedia artist Boris Eldagsen submitted an AI-generated image titled THE ELECTRICIAN, which triumphed in the creative category of the open competition. However, Eldagsen declined the prize.
In a statement, Eldagsen argued, “AI images and photography should not compete with each other in an award like this. They are different entities. AI is not photography.” While I agree that AI-generated images are not photographs, I contend that these images still have a place in the competition. The shortlist for the creative category features numerous heavily manipulated images, such as a disembowelled android practising yoga and duplicated, faceless figures walking in an indistinct void. Although not photographs, these images are not excluded from the competition.
Capturing reality or creating illusions? The convergence of artificial intelligence and photography
The history of photography is a story of innovation driven by the pursuit of simplicity and ease. George Eastman, the founder of Kodak, captured this spirit with his 1888 advertising slogan, “You press the button, we do the rest.” The modern iPhone epitomises the industry's efforts to enable anyone to capture images without grappling with intricate mechanics of the medium. The democratisation of photography has made it an ubiquitous feature of our lives; however, we must contemplate whether the quest for simplicity has strayed so far that what we create can no longer be called photographs.
The art of fabrication: From Cottingley fairies to the Balenciaga pope
This week, a shiver of astonishment rippled through our collective digital consciousness as we stumbled upon the incredible revelation that not everything we see online is real. I am, of course, referring to the AI-generated pontiff donning particularly unorthodox outfit.
In a world awash with images, we find ourselves as wanderers amidst a forest of visual stories, some real, some imagined, some manipulated. As we walk, we are lured into believing that what we see is what we get. However, the truth is often obscured by our biases, desires, and fears. The advent of AI-generated images has undoubtedly complicated our relationship with reality, but this game is not new.