AI work sparks debate after winning award

Published April 19, 2023
German photographer Boris Eldagsen stands at a Berlin art show next to his work “Pseudomnesia: The Electrician” which he had created with the usage of artificial intelligence and won the “Sony World Photography Award,” in this handout image obtained by Reuters on April 18, 2023. — Reuters
German photographer Boris Eldagsen stands at a Berlin art show next to his work “Pseudomnesia: The Electrician” which he had created with the usage of artificial intelligence and won the “Sony World Photography Award,” in this handout image obtained by Reuters on April 18, 2023. — Reuters

PARIS: A German artist has sparked an angry row after winning a prestigious photography prize with an entry that was generated by artificial intelligence.

Boris Eldagsen eventually rejected the gong from the Sony World Photography Awards after concluding that such competitions were not yet equipped to handle AI entries. The award organisers initially accused the artist of “misleading” behaviour, but removed the accusation from a later statement after a furious reply from Eldagsen on Tuesday.

Many photographers and artists fear their livelihoods are under threat from AI tools that allow anyone to create striking images with just a quick text prompt.

The rapid rise of AI image generators has already sparked legal cases, as the tools are “trained” on a vast number of images — many of which could be copyright protected. Last year, an AI-generated artwork won a prize at the Colorado State Fair, prompting soul-searching in the art world.

Sony World Photography Awards announced Eldagsen’s entry — a sepia-toned image of two women entitled “Pseudomnesia: The Electrician” — as the winner of its creative category in mid-March.

Eldagsen gave interviews at the time explaining how he had made the work and saying he wanted to spark a debate over AI.

However, he wrote last week that “AI images and photography should not compete with each other in an award like this” and rejected the prize.

“I applied as a cheeky monkey, to find out if the competitions are prepared for AI images to enter. They are not,” he wrote.

The awards body said in its initial response that it had been looking forward to engaging the artist in a discussion about AI, but had withdrawn the work “in keeping with his wishes”.

Its statement added: “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.”

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

China security ties
Updated 14 Nov, 2024

China security ties

If China's security concerns aren't addressed satisfactorily, it may affect bilateral ties. CT cooperation should be pursued instead of having foreign forces here.
Steep price
14 Nov, 2024

Steep price

THE Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is in big trouble. A new study unveiled at the ongoing COP29 reveals that if high...
A high-cost plan
14 Nov, 2024

A high-cost plan

THE government has approved an expensive plan for FBR in the hope of tackling its deep-seated inefficiencies. The...
United stance
Updated 13 Nov, 2024

United stance

It would've been better if the OIC-Arab League summit had announced practical measures to punish Israel.
Unscheduled visit
13 Nov, 2024

Unscheduled visit

Unusual IMF visit shows the lender will closely watch implementation of programme goals to prevent it from derailing.
Bara’s businesswomen
13 Nov, 2024

Bara’s businesswomen

Bara’s brave women have proven that with the right support, societal barriers can be overcome.