Photographer rejects Sony World Photography Award after revealing image was AI-generated
LONDON – German photographer Boris Eldagsen has declined a first-place prize in the creative open category of the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards after admitting the winning image, titled ”Pseudomnesia: The Electrician,” was created using artificial intelligence. the revelation has sparked debate about the role of AI in art and the criteria for photographic competitions.
The World Photography Organisation (WPO) initially accepted Eldagsen’s entry, stating the competition “welcomes various experimental approaches to image making from cyanotypes and rayographs to cutting-edge digital practices.” Following correspondence with Eldagsen and warranties he provided, organizers believed the entry fulfilled the category criteria and planned a Q&A with him for their website. however, after Eldagsen publicly disclosed the image’s AI origins and acknowledged “deliberate attempts at misleading” the judges, the WPO suspended its activities with him and removed him from the competition.
“As he [Eldagsen] has now decided to decline his award we have suspended our activities with him and in keeping with his wishes have removed him from the competition. 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 dialog with him,” the WPO said in a statement.
The WPO emphasized that while AI has a place in artistic contexts, the awards are intended to “champion the excellence and skill of photographers and artists working in the medium.” The institution recognizes “the importance of this subject and its impact on image-making today.”