Photographer refuses to accept award because photo was created by AI

Boris Eldagsen fooled photography competition organizers with his image Pseudomnesia: The Electrician , a haunting close-up of two women's faces, which won the Creative category last week.

The photographer stunned the organisers by refusing the award, declaring: "AI is not photography" and hoping to spark a discussion around the future of art.

Nhiếp ảnh gia từ chối nhận giải do bức ảnh được tạo ra từ AI - Ảnh 1. — AI-generated *Pseudomnesia: The Electrician*

The World Photography Organisation, which runs the Sony awards, told the Daily Mail it had been deliberately misled by Eldagsen about the relevance of AI.

In a statement on his website, Eldagsen, 52, described it as a "historic moment", adding: "I signed up cheekily to find out if the competition organisers were prepared to include an AI-generated photo."

"AI-generated images and photography should not compete with each other in an award like this. Because they are different entities. AI is not photography. So I will not accept the award," Boris Eldagsen said.

Eldagsen, who was a photographer for 30 years before turning to AI, is hoping his rejection of the award might spark a debate.

“The photography world needs an open discussion, a discussion about what we want to consider photography and what is not,” he added. “Is the photography umbrella big enough to include AI-generated images in competitions? By refusing the award, I hope to accelerate this debate.”

By declining the award, Eldagsen reignited a debate about the rapid development of AI.

Recent fake photos of former President Donald Trump being arrested and the Pope in a puffer jacket have raised concerns about the future of AI.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak are among those who have publicly expressed concerns about the development of AI.

In an open letter, Elon Musk and 100 others have called for a halt to the “dangerous race” to develop AI, arguing that humanity still does not know the full scope of risks involved in developing the technology.

They have asked all AI labs to stop product development for at least 6 months to allow for more risk assessments.

Elon Musk and others fear that the technology will become so advanced that it will no longer require or listen to human intervention.

Nhiếp ảnh gia từ chối nhận giải do bức ảnh được tạo ra từ AI - Ảnh 2. — German photographer Boris Eldagsen

The World Photography Organisation said it believed Eldagsen's image was "co-created" using AI to "meet the criteria for this category", adding: "We support his participation". They added: "The image relies heavily on Boris's extensive photographic knowledge".

“The competition’s Creative category welcomes a variety of experimental approaches to creating images using cutting-edge digital methods,” a spokesperson said.

“We feel Boris’s photograph meets the criteria for this category and we support his inclusion. In addition, we look forward to engaging in further discussion on this topic and welcome Boris’s desire for dialogue by preparing questions for a dedicated Q&A section on our website.

However, given Boris's subsequent actions and statements which have been a deliberate attempt to mislead us, we no longer feel we can engage in a meaningful and constructive dialogue with him.

Although the practical elements of AI are relevant to the context of image-making art, the award has always been and will continue to be a platform to honor the excellence and skills of photographers and artists working in this field," the World Photography Organization stated.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhiep-anh-gia-tu-choi-nhan-giai-do-buc-anh-duoc-tao-ra-tu-ai-185230418155450143.htm