Photographer does the right thing...

[hjoseph7]

In these days of cut-throat competition, this photographer turned down a prestigious photo award due to ethics...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/04/18/sony-photography-award-ai-generated-image/11686577002/ 

[maris_rusis]

It could be a valid proposition that the picture was never a photograph; merely looked like one.

Except for the visually naive, and I fear the judges of the "prestigious photo award" may be (unfairly?) counted among their number, it takes about 2 seconds to see the picture is a product of AI.
Look at the hand of the figure at the back. That hand is impossibly distorted and is a signal that AI was at work. AI just doesn't do hands properly for a number of reasons including too small a data base, "hands are complicated", and human sensitivity to "wrong hands".

AI may be entertaining but it is just the latest gotcha that will deceive a cohort of victims who work on the basis "looks like" means "same as".

[Ricochetrider]

I'm sure we'll see many more examples of this type of thing in the near future. I suppose proving the point to judges could well serve as a heas up to look more closely at submissions to photo contests. "Images" and other visual "works" can and indeed, IMO, should be judged separately from photographs. For now, AI doesn't render "hands" very well. If the article is correct, there's insufficient data, but it's only a matter of time until hands are perfected in AI programming. 

The entire thing (at least of this image) of working it up in AI, then editing and reediting it 20 times (!) seems like a lot of work- especially for an imperfect final product... I'll take the simplicity of my old film cameras, thanks.  

 

[John Seaman]

I read another report of this incident, which said that the "photographer" fully disclosed the origins of the image to the judges, and they still accepted it. It was only after winning that he refused to accept the award.

[inoneeye]

15 hours ago, Ricochetrider said:

For now, AI doesn't render "hands" very well. If the article is correct, there's insufficient data, but it's only a matter of time until hands are perfected in AI programming. 

Eyes and skin texture have been improving very quickly. But hands, feet and often teeth are lagging behind. But soon with enough data to draw from they will catch up. 

After years of Eldagsen bringing up this topic… he decided to enter competitions. By submitting his image to Sony Boris Eldagsen was hoping to move along the discussion on AI images in the photography world. +1. It seems his refusal of the award has done that. He is hoping to have AI imagery and photographs fall under different labels.

“Promptography [ai] is done with prompts. Photography is done with light,” Eldagsen told the BBC. “I think it’s very important to differentiate these [two things] by terms, and then to have an open discussion about this in the photography world. Is the umbrella of photography large enough to say [this type of imagery] is part of it? Because the visual language is the same.”

Edited April 21, 2023 by inoneeye

[AlanKlein]

I was just thinking.  Why would Sony, a camera manufacturer, ever create a contest for AI when cameras don't have to be used?

[samstevens]

53 minutes ago, AlanKlein said:

I was just thinking.  Why would Sony, a camera manufacturer, ever create a contest for AI when cameras don't have to be used?

Because SONY does a lot more than make cameras. They’re a world-wide entertainment company, that includes music, movies, gaming, and more. Since AI technology will be a big part of their future, they probably think it’s wise and in their own best interest to popularize it.

https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/sony_ai/

Edited April 21, 2023 by samstevens

[Ricochetrider]

As Josh @inoneeye has pointed out, this guy is not only driving home the differences between AI images & photos, but also by submitting to a contest, is seeking (seemingly, as I gather?) to have AI imagery accepted within its own category among the realm of “photography”? A bold move IMO and an important step taken early in the game. 
 

I feel it’s important to separate AI from photography, but to recognize its place within the realm of visual imagery/art. Therefore, IMO we would do well to accept this as a new and legitimate medium for imagery (I seem to be fixated on this term.. please pardon any redundancy). The future is ours, but only if we embrace rather than reject it.