A German photographer Boris Eldagsen has caused quite a stir by winning a world-renowned photography award with a photo generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The photographer refused the award, which raised a debate on the role of AI in creative image-making.
Eldagsen, based in Berlin, made the conscious decision to submit a photo created by the AI as he wanted to explore if the event was capable of handling such content. The sepia-colored image showcases two women of different generations with the older figure at the back and the younger in front. This work, titled “Pseudomnesia: The Electrician,” was recognized as the winner of the Creative category.
His refusal of the recognition from the Sony World Photography Awards created a global discussion about the place and role of AI in artistry and creativity. On his website, he mentioned that the aim of his endeavor was to bring the debate to light. He requested the photo world to open a discussion about how to distinguish between AI and photography.
Meanwhile, the organizing body accused Eldagsen of attempting to mislead them. They issued a statement which read that the Awards continue to stand for excellence and skill. However, recently they have also decided to remove him from the competition. Conversely, Eldagsen believes that they wanted to use the opportunity to start a conversation but the organization declined.
AI-generated images have become increasingly common with impressive language models like DALL-E 2 allowing its users to quickly create photographs from text input. The matter of authenticity and vigilance when it comes to such images is a pertinent one and needs to be addressed. Meanwhile, DW has put together a checklist on how to spot AI-generated images.
Eldagsen’s photo has sent a powerful message about the debate of AI and creativity, and it remains to be seen how the world perceives and adapts to this new reality.
