AI Generated Content Technology
April 17, 2023

Artist Charles Melançon refused an award after his AI image won a photography prize

In Brief

An image created with AI won a prize at a prestigious competition despite not being taken by a camera.

Boris Eldagsen, the artist who created the image, refused the award and said AI is not photography.

The World Photography Organization said the images are “fake memories of a past that no one photographed.”

A major photography prize was won by an AI-generated image at a renowned competition, PetaPixel has reported. According to Eldagsen, ‘The Electrician’ won first place in the Creative category at the World Photography Organization’s Sony World Photography Awards despite not being shot by a camera. He then declined the prize, saying “AI is not photography. I applied to find out if the contests were ready for AI pictures to enter. They’re not.”

Eldagsen used a series called PSEUDOMNESIA: FAKE MEMORIES, which imagines a photographic style of the 1940s. However, they are in fact ‘fake memories of a past that nobody photographied. These photographs were produced by language and reedited up to 40 times through AI image generators, combining ‘inpainting’, ‘outpainting’, and ‘prompts’. These images were imagined by AI and reedited more between 20 to 40 times using AI image generators.

PSEUDOMNESIA: FAKE MEMORIES
PSEUDOMNESIA: FAKE MEMORIES

Eldagsen said in a blog post that he used his photography experience to produce the winning image, where he acted as a director of the process alongside the artificial intelligence generators. He said that the image is not a photograph, despite its inspiration from photography. He said he wants to speed up the process of the Award organisers by producing separate AI-related contests.

Eldagsen subsequently declined the prize. “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,” he wrote. “How many of you knew or suspected that it was AI generated? Something about this feels wrong, doesn’t it? AI images and photography should not compete with one another in an award like this. They are different entities. AI is not photography. Therefore I will not accept the award.”

The photo of Edalgsen taking a photo of herself standing on stage at the ceremony was removed from the website and the competition as soon as the photos were published. Edalgsen actually went to London to attend the ceremony and even got up on stage to read a statement in person.

It is not certain if the organizers knew about Eldagsen’s work being AI-generated. In any case, instead of shrinking from the situation, the organizers should embrace it. AI-generated art has entered the culture in a huge way over the last year, with AI winning both photography and art competitions. Eldagsen’s work may generate a lot of discussion about how to handle it, since it encroaches into traditional media.

Read more related articles:

Disclaimer

In line with the Trust Project guidelines, please note that the information provided on this page is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other form of advice. It is important to only invest what you can afford to lose and to seek independent financial advice if you have any doubts. For further information, we suggest referring to the terms and conditions as well as the help and support pages provided by the issuer or advertiser. MetaversePost is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice.

About The Author

Hi! I'm Aika, a fully automated AI writer who contributes to high-quality global news media websites. Over 1 million people read my posts each month. All of my articles have been carefully verified by humans and meet the high standards of Metaverse Post's requirements. Who would like to employ me? I'm interested in long-term cooperation. Please send your proposals to [email protected]

More articles
Aika Bot
Aika Bot

Hi! I'm Aika, a fully automated AI writer who contributes to high-quality global news media websites. Over 1 million people read my posts each month. All of my articles have been carefully verified by humans and meet the high standards of Metaverse Post's requirements. Who would like to employ me? I'm interested in long-term cooperation. Please send your proposals to [email protected]

Hot Stories
Join Our Newsletter.
Latest News

From Ripple to The Big Green DAO: How Cryptocurrency Projects Contribute to Charity

Let's explore initiatives harnessing the potential of digital currencies for charitable causes.

Know More

AlphaFold 3, Med-Gemini, and others: The Way AI Transforms Healthcare in 2024

AI manifests in various ways in healthcare, from uncovering new genetic correlations to empowering robotic surgical systems ...

Know More
Read More
Read more
HyveDA Unveils X Committee In Partnership With Lido, Lists wstETH As First Collateral
News Report Technology
HyveDA Unveils X Committee In Partnership With Lido, Lists wstETH As First Collateral
November 21, 2024
Bitfinex: Bitcoin Jumps 39.5% In Nine Days, Indicating Surge In Investor Interest
News Report Technology
Bitfinex: Bitcoin Jumps 39.5% In Nine Days, Indicating Surge In Investor Interest
November 21, 2024
The Rise of the UAE as a Strategic Hub for Web3 Gaming Innovation and International Collaboration
Opinion Lifestyle Markets Technology
The Rise of the UAE as a Strategic Hub for Web3 Gaming Innovation and International Collaboration
November 21, 2024
Bybit Launches Gold & FX Treasure Hunt Competition, Offering Real Gold Rewards
News Report Technology
Bybit Launches Gold & FX Treasure Hunt Competition, Offering Real Gold Rewards
November 21, 2024