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Sony photography prize winner reveals image is AI creation, refuses award
An artist declined to accept a prestigious photography award, claiming that the image was made with artificial intelligence and that AI is not photography.
The winner of a prominent photography contest has declined to accept the award after revealing that his work was generated using artificial intelligence rather than a camera.
'Pseudomnesia: The Electrician,' by German artist Boris Eldagsen, depicts a melancholy black-and-white 'image' of two ladies from different generations and won first place in the Sony World Photography Awards' creative open category last week.
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"Thank you for selecting my image and making this a historic moment, as it is the first AI generated image to win in a prestigious international PHOTOGRAPHY competition. How many of you knew or suspected that it was AI generated? Something about this doesn’t feel right, does it?" Eldagsen declined the award.
Eldagsen went on to argue that AI images and photography should not compete because they are two separate things. "AI is not photography. Therefore, I will not accept the award," he wrote on his website.
Boris Eldagsen wrote he has studied at prestigious institutions, including the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication in Hyderabad.
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What do the organisers say?
The organisers of the award have accused Eldagsen of misleading them about the extent of AI that would be involved, the BBC reported.
According to a spokesperson for the World Photography Organisation, the photography division of art event promoter Creo, the artist accepted the piece was a "co-creation" of his image using AI during their discussions before he was chosen as the winner.
Creo said that while he mentioned his fascination with "the creative possibilities of AI generators," he still emphasised that the image heavily relies on his photographic knowledge.
"The creative category of the open competition welcomes various experimental approaches to image-making, from cyanotypes and rayographs to cutting-edge digital practises," they wrote.
Why did he enter the competition with an AI image?
The artist accepts that he applied as a ‘cheeky monkey, as he wanted to start an open discussion about what to consider photography and what not. "Is the umbrella of photography large enough to invite AI images to enter—or would this be a mistake?"
"With my refusal of the award, I hope to speed up this debate," he added.
