AI-Generated Image, Everything you need to create images with AI

 

AI-Generated Image Wins Award

In April 2023, photographer Boris Eldagsen sent shockwaves through the photography world when his image, The Electrician,' claimed the top spot in the Creative Open category at the World Photography Organization's Sony World Photography Awards. However, Eldagsen declined the award, revealing that his creation was not a photograph but, in fact, entirely generated AI.

Photography's AI Experiment Controversy

Eldagsen claimed he used the image as an experiment to challenge the competition and ignite a discourse about the future of photography. Some questioned his motives, perceiving it as a cynical publicity stunt. Still, whatever your viewpoint, this event unquestionably reverberated throughout the photography industry and prompted essential questions about the role of AI. 

AI Evolution in Imagery

While AI-generated imagery has existed since the 1960s, with pioneers exploring the potential of computers in art, it is only in the past decade that we have witnessed the emergence of genuinely realistic imagery. This evolution can be attributed mainly to the rise of 'deep learning,' a subset of machine learning that utilizes multi-layered neural networks to gather insights from vast datasets.

CLIP: Revolutionizing AI Art

Given the availability of high-quality AI imagery for over a decade, it has only recently garnered much attention. The primary reason for this can be traced to the development of OpenAI's deep learning algorithm, CLIP (Contrastive Language-Image Pretraining), in 2020. CLIP seamlessly combines natural language processing and computer vision, enabling it to comprehend effectively and analyze the connections between words and images, thus laying the foundation for creating AI art using text-based prompts.

 DALL-E: Text-to-Image Generation

Further acceleration occurred last year with Latent Diffusion Models, a form of AI technology capable of generating creative and visually appealing art. OpenAI's DALL-E, in particular, emerged with the unique ability to transform text descriptions into images, turning words into visual representations.

Ethical Concerns

This surge in popularity has brought forth a proliferation of 'realistic' AI-generated imagery, such as the recent viral depiction of the pope adorned in an incongruous winter jacket. However, this rapid rise has also raised ethical concerns. AI-generated 'photos' can spread conspiracy theories, propaganda, and other nefarious purposes. While photo editing and manipulation have been part of photography since its inception, a distinction exists between traditional editing and creating entirely AI-generated images prompted by individuals.

Blurring Lines

Undoubtedly, the lines have blurred with the advent of AI tools, such as those available in Photoshop, allowing users to select, remove, and replace elements within their photographs. The technology for producing photo-realistic images is still constrained; subtle details often expose the image's inauthenticity, particularly when human hands are involved, which often appear unusual.

AI Impact on Commercial Photography

Nonetheless, AI is an ever-evolving field that challenges 'real' photographers with commercial brands who are increasingly likely to use AI-generated images instead of photographs. AI creative studio Maison Meta has created a host of advertisements and campaigns for fashion brands, including the 'world's first' artificial intelligence (AI)-generated billboard campaign for retailer Revolve. In contrast, the well-known fashion and art bimonthly publication Cultured Magazine recently published a 30-page editorial with Louis Vuitton exclusively featuring AI-generated images.

 Amnesty's AI Image Controversy

Amnesty International recently faced criticism for employing AI-generated images of Colombian protesters instead of authentic photographs, a troubling incident involving the world's leading human rights organization, whose ethical standards one would expect to be higher. We've even witnessed Some well-known 'pure' photography platforms endorse such imagery. While this has sparked an inevitable backlash, they anticipated this and are willing to lose some of their core followers in pursuit of a broader audience captivated by this new technology.

AI's Deceptive Realism

Sometimes, one cannot help but feel that AI-generated images attempt to deceive us. While some AI creations venture into science fiction or surrealism, clearly delineating themselves from reality, others attempt to mimic more typical photographs with increasing success (particularly to less discerning viewers).

Portrait Deception Revealed

For instance, portrait artist Jos Avery amassed a substantial Instagram following with his monochrome portraits, which he presented as genuine photographs. He captioned the images with the names of the subjects and anecdotes about them and even went as far as to provide details of the camera he purportedly used. However, apparently overcome with guilt, he eventually disclosed that all these portraits were AI-generated through Midjourney and further edited in Photoshop. He may have revealed his secret, but questions still linger about the integrity of his approach. For instance, consider the image below, which supposedly pays tribute to Elouise Cobell.

Deceptive AI Artistry

The model-like portrayal in no way resembles the Native American Activist, as pointed out by one commenter who remarked: So this is supposedly an "homage" to an Indigenous female born in 1945-ish, and your 'artistic impulse' was to make her look like a Kardashian-esque mixed-race model!? Where is the original photo, if any exist, of the actual human being? And if you're so inspired by her, why not just post a photo of her as she was? While this may be a single example, it epitomizes the approach of numerous AI' artists' who make images that supposedly mirror 'reality' but, in practice, are artificial and

romantic, driven by the quest to accumulate the highest number of likes.

Photographer Anxiety Amid AI Growth

Top of Form, the rapid proliferation of AI could also be of particular concern to photographers who have captured images possessing an otherworldly, surreal quality or a level of timing and framing so perfect that they almost define reality. Take, for instance, the image below, captured by Brian Goldfarb. While it may appear otherworldly, it is a photograph taken on the Bonneville Salt Flats near Salt Lake City, USA.

Imaginative Photography vs. AI Misinterpretation

Top of Form Goldfarb came up with the idea of shooting a surreal image of a friend watching TV amidst the salt flats while on a road trip in the area. With the help of a close friend, he went to great lengths, securing a TV and borrowing a generator and extension cord (later removed in Photoshop) and in freezing temperatures and high winds, captured this remarkable image as the sun was setting: an example of what photography can achieve through imagination, meticulous staging and substantial effort. In the past, such images would have been celebrated for their mastery. However, today, there is a risk that they may be dismissed as the creation of a well-prompted machine rather than the result of a skilled and creative practitioner.

AI vs. Photography: Capturing the Inimitable Essence

While AI-generated imagery may have its place, it can never truly replicate the profound essence of photography. The genuine talent and artistry of those leading the way in our field remains unparalleled, reminding us of photography's unique ability to immortalize real-life moments that, without the camera, would be lost forever.

Evolving Debate: AI vs. Human Craft in Imaging

However, this topic is undeniably ever-evolving, and we must ask ourselves not whether AI-generated images meet the criteria of art but whether we should afford them the same value as those crafted by photographers. Consequently, we must decide whether we are comfortable with the potential scenario where images generated by prompts and machines supplant a medium that demands immense skill, creativity, effort, dedication, and, most importantly – as so eloquently put by one of the medium's greatest – humanity.