Photographer admits to using AI to win prestigious award, refuses to accept it
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German photographer Boris Eldagsen has refused a prestigious award from the Sony World Photography Awards after admitting that he generated the prize-winning image using artificial intelligence (AI).
Eldagsen revealed on his website that he had “applied as a cheeky monkey” to see if competitions were prepared for AI images to enter, and found that they were not. His winning photograph featured two women from different generations in black and white.
Eldagsen, who studied photography and visual arts at various institutions, said he was declining the prize to prompt an open discussion about what constitutes photography. He stated that he hoped his refusal of the award would speed up the debate. He also suggested donating the prize to a photo festival in Odesa, Ukraine.
Eldagsen noted that it was the first time an AI-generated image had won a prestigious international photography competition. He argued that AI images and photography should not compete with each other as they were different entities. “AI is not photography. Therefore, I will not accept the award,” he said.
A spokesperson for the World Photography Organisation said Eldagsen had confirmed the “co-creation” of the image using AI to them before he was announced as the winner.
“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,” the spokesperson added.
The incident reflects the ongoing debate over the use and implications of AI, with some experts issuing apocalyptic warnings that the technology is on the brink of irreversibly damaging the human experience.
Recent advancements in the use of AI in areas such as chatbots, driverless cars, songwriting software and pharmaceuticals have spurred the discussion. Google’s chief executive, Sundar Pichai, has warned that the technology can be “very harmful” if incorrectly deployed.
