AI and the Challenges for Photography Competitions

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been having a strong impact on many fields, and art creation is no exception. Many painting competitions around the world accept entries with the support of AI. In photography, the intervention of photo editing software has long sparked endless debates about creative standards and copyright infringement. Now, this difficult problem is likely to continue with AI.

Original photo...

... and after AI helps "erase" parts of the original photo that the author did not intend. Photo: NGUYEN KY NAM

AI-edited photos are not accepted.

The story of AI in photo creation is not only "hot" now, but before that, photo editing software such as Photoshop, Luminar... have used artificial intelligence to some extent, although at a simple and rudimentary level. Later, online data pages providing AI tools to intervene in image products, such as photography, video , graphic design are increasingly upgraded due to overcoming the disadvantages of previous software. From here, without much manipulation and effort, anyone can create photos supported by artificial intelligence.

Using a huge source of images provided by humans, AI will create a photo based on simple commands in an incredibly short time. According to photographer Xuan Chinh, Vice President of the Hanoi Art Photography Association, AI will be based on the original image provided by the user and create a new photo based on the user's request. To do this, users must know English to find the right keywords for their ideas. It can be said that AI supports the creation of all genres in photography, from realism, ideas to genres that blend photography with other art forms. The richer the data warehouse, the more unique products artificial intelligence can produce.

The emergence of AI once again poses a challenge to domestic photo contests, in addition to the photo editing software that once "made waves". Especially the conceptual photo category, a category that is allowed to accept the intervention of special effects. Perhaps because of this, recently, the Organizing Committee of the Vietnam Art Photography Contest and Exhibition 2024 (Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibitions, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) informed: Photos that use AI will not be accepted.

Ms. Tran Thi Thu Dong, President of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists, said that even many members of the jury do not have a deep understanding of AI, so it is difficult to evaluate and promptly detect photos created by AI. However, according to photographer Xuan Chinh, detecting whether a photo uses AI or not is actually "easier than people think". People who create AI will also create software to detect photos using AI. In addition, asking the author to present the original photo with technical parameters stored in the photo file is also a way to check and detect photos using AI. Specifically, photos that use AI are compressed image files, mixed files, and do not have basic parameters like the original photo. AI effectively supports when applied to advertising graphics, but cannot replace the art of photography with its characteristics of visual thinking, containing human moments and emotions.

Use technology for the right purpose

Aside from the troubles that artificial intelligence creates for photo contests, it is undeniable that AI helps photographers in the creative process, if placed in the right place and for the right purpose.

Artificial intelligence should be used as a tool to suggest ways to exploit the subject rather than taking the "leading" role in creativity. No matter how intelligent AI is, in the end, it is still just a tool that operates according to human requirements. It does not have the emotions and heart to be moved by beauty and thereby bring about unique moments in photography; the essence of photography is moments.

In order to help photographers better understand AI, in the near future, professional associations, such as the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists and the Hanoi Association of Artistic Photography, will organize many training sessions and seminars to disseminate knowledge about photography using artificial intelligence. Only by understanding AI can artists use technology for the right purposes. Those who know how to embrace technology will be at the forefront of many trends in art.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong affirmed that in modern life, machines will replace humans in many stages. The purpose is to make human life more convenient and better. Machines can help artists create faster and with better quality, but they cannot replace the brain and heart of an artist. AI is increasingly involved in the life of literary and artistic creation, but smart artists are "smarter than AI", that is, turning AI into a means to serve creative purposes.

THU CUC

Source: https://nhandan.vn/ai-va-thach-thuc-doi-voi-cac-cuoc-thi-nhiep-anh-post799199.html