A German artist has refused a prestigious world photo award for an image he created using artificial intelligence, declaring photography competitions aren't ready to deal with the new technology.
In a statement on his website, long-time photographer Boris Eldagsen, who has more recently shifted his focus to AI-generated images, said he applied as a "cheeky monkey" to test whether competitions are prepared for AI images to enter.
"They are not," he said.
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Calling his win for the "first AI-generated image to win in a prestigous (sic) international photography competition" a "historic moment", Eldagsen refused the prize for his image, Pseudomnesia: The Electrician.
"How many of you knew or suspected that it was AI generated? Something about this doesn't feel right, does it?" he said, in the statement posted last week.
"AI images and photography should not compete with each other in an award like this.
"They are different entities. AI is not photography. Therefore I will not accept the award."
The artist called for an open discussion about what was considered to be photography, and whether that included AI images, while highlighting the complex work that went into the image.
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"For me, working with AI image generators is a co-creation, in which I am the director," he said.
"It is not about pressing a button – and done it is."
Eldagsen's stunt comes as the rapid recent acceleration of AI technologies, most famously ChatGPT, portends major changes in various parts of society from art and photography through to writing, coding and even the legal industry.
It follows US game designer Jason M. Allen's win in the Colorado State Fair Fine Arts Competition with an image created with AI art program Midjourney.
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The World Photography Organisation said it had confirmed the "co-creation" of the image with AI, while heavily relying on his "wealth of photographic knowledge".
The spokesperson said the artist's statement after winning noted his "deliberate attempts at misleading us", thereby invalidating the warranties he'd given organisers.
"The Creative category of the Open competition welcomes various experimental approaches to image making from cyanotypes and rayographs to cutting-edge digital practices," the spokesperson said.
"As such, following our correspondence with Boris and the warranties he provided, we felt that his entry fulfilled the criteria for this category, and we were supportive of his participation.
"Additionally, we were looking forward to engaging in a more in-depth discussion on this topic and welcomed Boris' wish for dialogue by preparing questions for a dedicated Q&A with him for our website.
"As he has now decided to decline his award we have suspended our activities with him and in keeping with his wishes have removed him from the competition."
The spokesperson requested for the statement to be reproduced in full:
"During our various exchanges with Boris Eldagsen ahead of announcing him as the Creative category winner in the Open competition on 14th March, he had confirmed the 'co-creation' of this image using AI. In our correspondence he explained how following 'two decades of photography, my artistic focus has shifted more to exploring creative possibilities of AI generators' and further emphasising the image heavily relies on his 'wealth of photographic knowledge'. As per the rules of the competition, the photographers provide the warranties of their entry.
"The Creative category of the Open competition welcomes various experimental approaches to image making from cyanotypes and rayographs to cutting-edge digital practices. As such, following our correspondence with Boris and the warranties he provided, we felt that his entry fulfilled the criteria for this category, and we were supportive of his participation. Additionally, we were looking forward to engaging in a more in-depth discussion on this topic and welcomed Boris' wish for dialogue by preparing questions for a dedicated Q&A with him for our website.
"As he has now decided to decline his award we have suspended our activities with him and in keeping with his wishes have removed him from the competition. Given his actions and subsequent statement noting his deliberate attempts at misleading us, and therefore invalidating the warranties he provided, we no longer feel we are able to engage in a meaningful and constructive dialogue with him.
"We recognise the importance of this subject and its impact on image-making today. We look forward to further exploring this topic via our various channels and programmes and welcome the conversation around it. While elements of AI practices are relevant in artistic contexts of image-making, the Awards always have been and will continue to be a platform for championing the excellence and skill of photographers and artists working in the medium."
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