Good morning everyone, and welcome back to my site. Thanks to those who have the patience to follow my posts. A warm welcome to those who are here for the first time.
The closing year has been, in some aspects, the year of AI. For weeks and months, Italian media extensively covered AI on radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, and of course, websites. Specifically, this has also involved AI-generated PHOTOGRAPHY. Could I refrain from discussing this important topic? Certainly not. Anyone interested will find my reflections and thoughts below.
My first thought is that there is no AI-generated PHOTOGRAPHY, at least not as of now. Instead, there are images created by one or more algorithms, generated by a computer or multiple computers. Photography, as it is, involves a CAMERA controlled by a HUMAN. Framing and capturing a scene or subject at a specific moment, imprinting it on a digital sensor. Just as it was with color or black-and-white film about 30/40 years ago.
As of now, there are no cameras with built-in AI systems or processors for image acquisition. However, future developments might see cameras integrating AI systems to support photographers. It is foreseeable, given that AI is already integrated, albeit in a limited form, in various other technological and non-technological sectors.
I can likely envision a future camera system entirely based on artificial intelligence. It could autonomously capture and decide when to take a picture, based on predefined parameters and programmed algorithms.
I believe these parameters and functions will be set and created by humans based on diverse needs. Currently, a prevailing global concern is establishing morally and ethically acceptable guidelines, not just in the realm of digital image generation. Obviously, I refrain from detailing ethical and moral guidelines. What is certain, and we’ve seen for years, is the creation of FALSE and misleading digital images. While such creations existed 80 years ago, it’s technically much simpler today, making detection more challenging.
Anyway, as of the current state of the art, and based on my knowledge up to the year 2023, such systems do not exist. Therefore, we cannot speak of PHOTOGRAPHY at the moment but rather of images created by ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
I won’t delve into how artificial intelligence generates images now—an intricate, technical topic. It involves collecting and cataloguing billions of images. Advanced algorithms, coupled with immense computational power, assemble and render high-definition images.
I know, for example, that some specialized websites acquire (often buying) photos worldwide from both professional and amateur photographers. They meticulously categorize them, offering these for sale to companies developing algorithms for generating AI images.
AI-generated images are thus collages of tens, probably hundreds, and perhaps thousands of other images. The AI’s role is crucial in achieving the right mix of lights, shadows, colors, and details in the final image.
The technical topic is broad and complex, and I currently lack the knowledge to discuss it accurately. Furthermore, and especially, I’m not interested in discussing it at the moment, however intriguing it may be to explore these aspects of the issue.
What I WANT TO EMPHASIZE in this post is the general aspect of innovation related to digital AI images, not currently classified as photographs.
I am supportive of all types of technological development, including digital image generation. Just as digital photography revolutionized film photography in the ’90s, I believe AI will do the same, if not even better. Digital photography has significantly enhanced overall photo quality, making it accessible to a growing number of people. It has greatly simplified image availability in terms of time and allowed for subsequent software processing. Today, with a basic (link to post=>) smartphone, we capture photos that were unimaginable and technically infeasible just a decade ago.
For me, photography remains, and will always be, something created by HUMANS, not by artificial intelligence. I can accept AI assistance for photographers, generated by a camera’s AI system. However, the act of capturing, the moment, and the idea behind the shot, in my opinion, remain inherently linked to the human experience.
Moreover photography, as understood until now, is a form of visual art. Hundreds of photographers worldwide have gifted us unique, emotional, and engaging photographic images. Their goal, and above all, their creativity allow us to see and appreciate things we often cannot see ourselves.
Perhaps ironically or amusingly, for the past couple of years, I’ve been using vintage lenses completely MANUAL with no automatic functions or electronics. They evoke excitement since the moment I attach them to the camera.
They engage my neurons, allowing me to quickly envision the aperture or shutter speed.
Playing with depth of field, blur, and bokeh is enjoyable, and I find pleasure in bringing to life the visions that often cross my mind.
I believe using any form of AI, even assistive, would diminish the joy and satisfaction I find in taking photographs. Currently, I rarely use automatic lenses, despite having several of decent quality. It’s not because they aren’t good—they are. But I lose the pleasure of physically engaging with the camera lens, of experimenting not only with framing but also with all the other parameters.
I could say that AI applied to photography isn’t precisely what I’d prefer or use currently. However, being open to innovations and recognizing them as definite and valid improvements, I might change my perspective in the future… After all, nothing is forever, and my curiosity could be piqued by technological advancements.
I thank those who took the time to read this post, which I don’t consider entirely exhaustive of my thoughts. I’ve condensed it for brevity. Wishing all the brave readers a happy year-end and a fantastic and improved 2024.
