A photo contest organized by professionals has been won by an artificial intelligence. The victory reopens the heated debate about the impact of image-generating AI in the art world, a few months after a similar event.
Every week, Digidirect’s Instagram account, a leading Australian photography store, is hosting a photo contest. On February 1, 2023, the winning shot for the “Summer” theme was shared on the account, with a simple message from Digidirect congratulating Jane Eykes, the photographer. However, the photo, which shows a huge wave from above accompanied by an orange light from the setting sun, is not quite one: it was created by an artificial intelligence.
The new, spotted on February 7 by an Australian media specializing in photography, has gone largely unnoticed until now. However, it has created a real debate on Instagram, which also echoes a much broader movement against the use of artificial intelligence to generate images.
A photo created by artificial intelligence
The image was created by Absolutely AI, an Australian company specializing in image creation, which admitted the deception in a comment under the announcement of its victory. ” We confess everything. This is an image generated by an artificial intelligence, which we entered in the contest to do a test. We are reaching a turning point in artificial intelligence, and that an image created by a machine can win a photo competition is the ultimate test. “says the company. ” We didn’t do this to embarrass or humiliate the community, but to prove that we live in a new world. “.
A message coldly received by Internet users, who widely criticized the operation, calling it “ handling ” and of ” lie “. Digidirect has yet to comment on the situation. It is therefore unknown if another winner will be announced, but Absolutely AI has announced that it has refunded the sum won (a voucher worth 100 Australian dollars).
Absolutely AI, which does not specify whether it used Midjourney or Dall-E to generate the photo, also shared a press release on his own Instagram account. ” We did all of this to pass the ultimate test. Can an AI-created image not only go unspotted (no one who saw the photo noticed anything out of the ordinary), but also win an expert photo contest? The answer is a resounding yes. It is no exaggeration to say that we have reached the point where machines are now superior performers to men. “.
AIs are not yet at the level of artists
Contrary to what Absolutely AI suggests, there is a lot to complain about in this photo. If it is at first sight impressive, in particular thanks to its colors and the reflection of the setting sun at the top of the photo, we can also see many aberrations. The linear shape of the wave in the foreground is completely unrealistic, as is the fact that it splits in two at beach level. The board and the surfer represented in the middle are very impersonal, and the direction of the waves in the background is not possible.
The main quality of the shot is undoubtedly the orange light of the sunset that can be seen on the wave. ” It’s not a photo contest anymore, it’s a Lightroom contest [un logiciel de retouche de photos très populaire édité par Adobe, ndlr] “Complained a user under the announcement of the winning photo.
This is not the first time that an image generated by artificial intelligence has won a competition. In September 2022, a work made on Midjourney had created controversy after winning the Colorado State Fair — a work itself criticized for its aberrations. Since then, many artists have spoken out against the use of these AIs, which they accuse of killing their craft. others filed a complaint against Stabiliy AI and Midjourney for copyright infringement, because the AIs would have trained on their works, without their having given their consent. For its part, the Pocket Book now bans AI for the cover images of its books.
Regardless of whether or not we find qualities in Absolutely AI’s photo, his victory is sure to further fuel the debate.
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