Boris Eldagsen decided to put the Sony world photography awards to the test: He submitted an AI-generated "photo" to the competition to see if such competitions are prepared to deal with such images. "They are not," says the German artist, who won the creative open category with the image. He then admitted it was AI-generated and declined the award, the Guardian reports. (See the work, titled "The Electrician," here.) "We, the photo world, need an open discussion," says Eldagsen. "A discussion about what we want 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."
Per the BBC, a World Photography Organization rep says that since the category Eldagsen won "welcomes various experimental approaches to image-making, from cyanotypes and rayographs to cutting-edge digital practices," the image—which Eldagsen says was "co-created" with AI image generators and then re-edited 20 to 40 times, per USA Today—likely fit the criteria to win the category. The organization planned to engage "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." However, once he declined the award, the kibosh was put on that plan.
Things between him and Sony also appear tense, per the Guardian, with Sony issuing a statement that says, "We no longer feel we are able to engage in a meaningful and constructive dialogue with him." Eldagsen says he thinks he understands why Sony might be upset: "They feel like they were conned, and had their aesthetic discernment called into question. If you can’t tell the difference between a photograph and an AI-generated image, then you may as well go home." In his opinion, AI-generated images are not photography and should not be judged in the same category as photography. (More artificial intelligence stories.)
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