With the generative AI ImageThe continuous improvement of creative ability,Photography ContestIn recent years, there have been cases where “photos” generated by AI rather than real photos have won awards. In response to this trend, some well-known photography competitions have set up special AI categories, which can both keep up with the trend of the times and prevent contestants from mixing AI works into traditional photography categories.
However, an unexpected reversal occurred today.PhotographerMiles Astray submitted his photo to the prestigious 1839 Awards in the AI category. His work is titled “FLAMINGONE”.Unexpectedly, he won the Bronze Judges Award and the Audience Choice Award.
But the problem is that this photo was not generated by AI, but a real photo of a flamingo.The angle of the photo makes it look like the bird has no head, but it is realAstrey took this photo in 2022 on a beach in Aruba, where flamingos were roaming freely. The camera used for the photo was a Nikon D750 with a 50mm prime lens, an aperture of f/1.8, and a shutter speed of 1/1600 second.
Shortly before this article was published, the photo was listed on the 1839 Awards winners page, showing that it won the above two awards. However, the list has now been updated, and the winners of the bronze award and the audience vote have become two other AI-generated images, which were previously listed as "honorary mentions". Android Authority confirmed that the page did initially show "FLAMINGONE" as the winner of these two awards.
It is worth mentioning that the jury of this award is very strong, including professionals from well-known institutions such as the New York Times, Christie's Auction House, and Getty Images.
A spokesperson for the Creative Resource Collective, the organization behind the 1839 Prize, issued the following statement on the matter:
No organization believes in the power of photography more than we do. We have asked Mr. Miles Astley to work with us on a blog post about this incident and his submission, press release, and any statements he may share. As an artist, his voice will bring a different perspective to this topic. After intense internal discussion, we have decided to disqualify his work from the AI category out of respect for other artists in the competition. The categories of our competition are very clear and are designed to ensure fair competition for all entrants. Each category has different judging criteria and the entries need to meet the corresponding criteria. As he mentioned in his press release, his work did not meet the requirements of the AI Generated Image category. We understand that he did this to prove a point, but we also don't want to deprive other artists of the opportunity to win in the AI category. I believe you can understand our decision and the reasoning behind it. We hope that this incident will bring attention to AI to other photographers (and bring a message of hope).
Why did this photographer do this? Android Authority interviewed Astrey to understand his intention of submitting the photo to the AI photo competition, as you might expect:
Of course, I feel sorry for misleading the jury, but I think they are all professionals who can understand that my questioning of AI technology and its ethical impact is more important than the ethical issues of deceiving the audience. I am very happy that this experiment confirmed my hypothesis:There is nothing more magical and creative than nature itself.I do not demonize this new technology and recognize its potential, but I now see its limitations and potential dangers more clearly.