Artificial Intelligence (AI) in photography has been a hot topic since its advent in the creative industries, and remains controversial as more developments roll in. By now, everyone already agrees that it’s here to stay — for better or for worse — and so will all the discussions surrounding it.
In the video above, professional nature and wildlife photographer Simon d’Entremont weighs in on the ongoing impacts of AI, particularly the possibility of it eventually ruining photography. “Do you find that the trend of artificial intelligence in photography seems to be taking photography the wrong way these days?” he asks. The fake images (that many people can’t tell are such), the software-generated models and scenes, AI images winning photo contests, and even outright copies of well-known photos and visual styles — all of these are just some of the stark realities that today’s photographers are faced with due to AI.
Despite all these, Simon doesn’t discount the benefits that AI offers for photographers. Culling down thousands of photos from a shoot down to a few hundred is definitely useful for wedding or event photographers. So are automations and speeding up the workflow process for big batches of photos for both personal and client work.
As such, he believes that the solution is to put regulations and safeguards in place, in order to ensure transparency and authenticity in the use of AI for photography and other creative industries. In addition, photographers (and other creatives) also now have to figure out how they can be relevant in the age of AI-generated work. For Simon, it all boils down to story and personal branding.
Do you agree with Simon’s insights on the impact of AI on photography? Has it negatively affected your work? What did you find to be effective in enabling you to be relevant as a photography in the AI age? Share your thoughts below, and let’s start a discussion!
