Human Photographer Wins Award for Images Created by…

One of the most widespread fears related to artificial intelligence concerns the danger that “AI will steal our jobs”. Professional photographers, however, can say that (at least for now) they do a better job than AI: There is evidence. The photographer — human — Miles Astray won a photography award designed for AI-generated images: physical reality beats digital reality.

Human Photographer Wins Award for AI-Generated Images

The 1839 Awards, a photography competition that celebrates the art of photography, introduced this year a new category dedicated to images generated by Artificial Intelligence. But an expected accident has raised questions about the role of AI in art and the very definition of photography.

Photographer Miles Astray presented an image of a headless flamingo, taken during a sunrise at Aruba, in the category dedicated to AI. As Tom’s Hardware explains, once it was revealed that the work was not generated by software but captured by a human being, the organizers decided to disqualify her.

Astray explained on his website (where you can also find the photo) that his intent was to demonstrate how works created by man can still compete in the machine-dominated digital age. Despite understanding the message sent by the artist, the organizers stressed that the work simply did not respect the rules.

In the past, we’ve heard of AI images submitted to competitions, as well as images generated using generative AI. But the case of the headless flamingo turns the situation on its head. The photo, taken with an angle that shows the animal in a seemingly impossible pose, it’s very real. Does knowing she’s real change the way we look at her? This is not a lucky mistake by AI, but an error in our perception. Does this make it better or worse? Or simply, different?

Technological tools always find their way into jobs (and yes, even art) if they offer a real benefit. But the artist’s perception, together with that of those who admire the work, they remain the center of the experience. However, it remains to be understood whether these perceptions change, knowing that the work was created by a person or by AI. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments.