Is Artificial Intelligence a dream come true for photographers? How well can you judge whether a picture was AI-generated? What does an AI future look like for creative people?
Another excellently written piece. There aren't many emails into my inbox I always try and read, but yours is one of them. Thank you for the work you put into them.
AI has the ability to completely change our world for the better. Unfortunately, it can also make it worse... depends on how it is used, because there will always be those who use it for their own gain, either at a personal or corporate level.
There is no doubt that AI will take away jobs and, sadly, those at the creative end of the working spectrum look like they are most likely to be affected. I doubt if anything will - or even can - be done to protect them.
Some of those photos you have shown, look fantastic, yet, as soon as I know they are AI generated, I lose interest in them.
Knowing that it was created in seconds by an algorithm, using a multi-billion pound infrastructure of data centres and computing power, does nothing for me (other than being impressed by the technical aspects of it all).
Whereas, someone with a 500 quid camera and a laptop, and who has probably spent hours in finding and photographing that particular subject and then possibly even more time in cropping, tweaking and honing it, so as to present us with the best picture they possibly can... well, that gives me something I can relate to.
But, as you say, that only applies if I can still tell the difference.
Thank you, Mark. You explain it very well and I agree that human creativity is endlessly fascinating whilst AI-generated "art" is mind-numbingly dull and more than a little creepy. I wonder if future generations will feel the same. I'm not sure that there will be much perceived value in human art for people who have grown up with AI. Perhaps using AI will become an art form in itself. Whatever happens, the creative world will look very different in 20 years to how it looks now.
I agree, Pierre but I suspect that belief is shifting and younger and future generations will consider AI "art" to have the same intrinsic value as anything created by humans.
Thanks for the engaging, fantastical journey, Gavin. If only AI could remove toxic public figures from our consciousness...demons who are everywhere in our hair these days.
They are AI and they’re probably very effective but I’d never remove anything larger than a dust spot from a photo so not helpful or interesting to me. It’s the old “journalistic integrity” thing. Do you remember the fuss about Steve McCurry’s altered photos? He ended up claiming that he wasn’t a photojournalist but was making “illustrations” - or something like that. And I suppose that whether AI is creating an entire image or a portion of one, the same concerns about having used copyrighted material to make the model and the excessive use of electricity exist. Just painting out an annoying cousin from a family photo seems pretty innocuous but it’s all part of the same AI monster. However, it’s all unstoppable and I am King Canute shouting at the tide 😂
I well remember the Steve McCurry furore and indeed our discussions and those with dear Jack too.
I just couldn't persuade him for some reason that it was okay to ask a person to remove a fallen leaf on a pathway but it was not okay to remove it yourself in Photoshop - although the result is the same!
I assume throwing it out of focus and making it invisible in the camera is ok?
Anything that improves the picture is fine with me.
I believe his bones are still in Winchester Cathedral. I'm visiting next month, might get to see the old Cnut's remains.
Not for the first time, I agree with Jack. It may seem like the result is the same but Photoshop can only guess what was hidden by the leaf. Perhaps it was only a few blades of grass or a section of tarmac, or maybe there was a hidden portal to the underworld. Photoshop can only take what's visible in the image and re-render that to create a fake section.
Once we allow Photoshop to replace elements with imagined content created by artificial intelligence, what's the point in making the photo in the first place? Why not just describe the scene to an AI machine and let it create the whole image? We'd never need to leave the comfort of our homes.
I had a similar conversation with William Allard in Cortona. He was making photos on the street, I asked him if he was concerned about a bin in the background. He looked at me like I'd just sat on his favourite hat and said, "It's there, isn't it?"
I want to see what was there, not what a computer imagined might have been there.
I haven't been to any wild student parties yet but I begin my induction today so expect the parties will commence shortly. Pray for me. 😬
Thanks for your comment. I've never heard of YouPic so thank you for bringing it to my attention. Sorry to hear about that there are some many AI submissions. That's a shame.
Funny, when I first read your comment, I misread it as "Musk is full of hot air and I'm massively cheering on the Democrats", which made more sense. 😁
Thoughtful and educational! AI gives me the creeps, and even though I guessed right with the side by side images, I got overwhelmed with the block of images, which helps me understand how overwhelmed people are who see pictures of birds that really don't make sense and think they are real. I hate AI for its ease of deception as well as its reliance on stolen artwork for its learning curve. Yikes.
"Yikes" pretty much sums it up for me too. I've yet to find an aspect of AI to feel very positive about.
I'll let you know which of those side-by-side images were AI-generated. Don't be misled by the ticks that appear. I think that just indicates that your vote was recorded.
I'm determined to find something positive to look forward to in our new AI world, from a creative perspective, at least. If you discover anything, please let me know.
I think AI is what drives (pardon the pun) maps apps. Those I appreciate. I am puzzled and amazed when I recall cross-country trips with paper maps. Yes, I kept getting where I was going. But, HOW?? ;-)
Another excellently written piece. There aren't many emails into my inbox I always try and read, but yours is one of them. Thank you for the work you put into them.
Ah, mate, that's lovely to read. Thank you. I am very grateful to have such a generous and thoughtful community of readers and supporters. Cheers!
A nicely written, thought-provoking piece, Gav.
AI has the ability to completely change our world for the better. Unfortunately, it can also make it worse... depends on how it is used, because there will always be those who use it for their own gain, either at a personal or corporate level.
There is no doubt that AI will take away jobs and, sadly, those at the creative end of the working spectrum look like they are most likely to be affected. I doubt if anything will - or even can - be done to protect them.
Some of those photos you have shown, look fantastic, yet, as soon as I know they are AI generated, I lose interest in them.
Knowing that it was created in seconds by an algorithm, using a multi-billion pound infrastructure of data centres and computing power, does nothing for me (other than being impressed by the technical aspects of it all).
Whereas, someone with a 500 quid camera and a laptop, and who has probably spent hours in finding and photographing that particular subject and then possibly even more time in cropping, tweaking and honing it, so as to present us with the best picture they possibly can... well, that gives me something I can relate to.
But, as you say, that only applies if I can still tell the difference.
Keep up the good work.
Thank you, Mark. You explain it very well and I agree that human creativity is endlessly fascinating whilst AI-generated "art" is mind-numbingly dull and more than a little creepy. I wonder if future generations will feel the same. I'm not sure that there will be much perceived value in human art for people who have grown up with AI. Perhaps using AI will become an art form in itself. Whatever happens, the creative world will look very different in 20 years to how it looks now.
...but the act of "creation" of a photography has to remain with the photographer
I agree, Pierre but I suspect that belief is shifting and younger and future generations will consider AI "art" to have the same intrinsic value as anything created by humans.
Thanks for the engaging, fantastical journey, Gavin. If only AI could remove toxic public figures from our consciousness...demons who are everywhere in our hair these days.
I will keep praying for that moment in time!
You and me both, Joel. If AI could do that, it would be a happy day.
The Remove tools in Photoshop are A1 I believe - and very useful - aren't they?
They are AI and they’re probably very effective but I’d never remove anything larger than a dust spot from a photo so not helpful or interesting to me. It’s the old “journalistic integrity” thing. Do you remember the fuss about Steve McCurry’s altered photos? He ended up claiming that he wasn’t a photojournalist but was making “illustrations” - or something like that. And I suppose that whether AI is creating an entire image or a portion of one, the same concerns about having used copyrighted material to make the model and the excessive use of electricity exist. Just painting out an annoying cousin from a family photo seems pretty innocuous but it’s all part of the same AI monster. However, it’s all unstoppable and I am King Canute shouting at the tide 😂
Hi King Canute or is it Cnut?
I well remember the Steve McCurry furore and indeed our discussions and those with dear Jack too.
I just couldn't persuade him for some reason that it was okay to ask a person to remove a fallen leaf on a pathway but it was not okay to remove it yourself in Photoshop - although the result is the same!
I assume throwing it out of focus and making it invisible in the camera is ok?
Anything that improves the picture is fine with me.
All the best
Jonathan
It's actually Knútr. Or, according to Wikipedia, "King Canute the Great (also written as Cnut)" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Canute_and_the_tide).
I believe his bones are still in Winchester Cathedral. I'm visiting next month, might get to see the old Cnut's remains.
Not for the first time, I agree with Jack. It may seem like the result is the same but Photoshop can only guess what was hidden by the leaf. Perhaps it was only a few blades of grass or a section of tarmac, or maybe there was a hidden portal to the underworld. Photoshop can only take what's visible in the image and re-render that to create a fake section.
Once we allow Photoshop to replace elements with imagined content created by artificial intelligence, what's the point in making the photo in the first place? Why not just describe the scene to an AI machine and let it create the whole image? We'd never need to leave the comfort of our homes.
I had a similar conversation with William Allard in Cortona. He was making photos on the street, I asked him if he was concerned about a bin in the background. He looked at me like I'd just sat on his favourite hat and said, "It's there, isn't it?"
I want to see what was there, not what a computer imagined might have been there.
I haven't been to any wild student parties yet but I begin my induction today so expect the parties will commence shortly. Pray for me. 😬
PS How's university life and those wild student parties?
On YouPic the AI submissions are all over the place and are mostly not indicated as such. Cheaters galore! And YouPic seems to care less.
Musk is a fresh air to the massive cheating going on by Democrats.
Thanks for your comment. I've never heard of YouPic so thank you for bringing it to my attention. Sorry to hear about that there are some many AI submissions. That's a shame.
Funny, when I first read your comment, I misread it as "Musk is full of hot air and I'm massively cheering on the Democrats", which made more sense. 😁
Thoughtful and educational! AI gives me the creeps, and even though I guessed right with the side by side images, I got overwhelmed with the block of images, which helps me understand how overwhelmed people are who see pictures of birds that really don't make sense and think they are real. I hate AI for its ease of deception as well as its reliance on stolen artwork for its learning curve. Yikes.
"Yikes" pretty much sums it up for me too. I've yet to find an aspect of AI to feel very positive about.
I'll let you know which of those side-by-side images were AI-generated. Don't be misled by the ticks that appear. I think that just indicates that your vote was recorded.
I'm determined to find something positive to look forward to in our new AI world, from a creative perspective, at least. If you discover anything, please let me know.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I think AI is what drives (pardon the pun) maps apps. Those I appreciate. I am puzzled and amazed when I recall cross-country trips with paper maps. Yes, I kept getting where I was going. But, HOW?? ;-)