Photographer rejects Sony World Photography Award after revealing image was AI-generated
LONDON – German photographer Boris Eldagsen has declined โขa first-place โprize in the creative open category ofโฃ theโข 2023 Sony World Photography Awards after โadmitting the winning image, titled โ”Pseudomnesia: The Electrician,” was created using artificialโฃ intelligence. the revelation hasโ sparked debate about the role of AI โคin art and theโฃ criteria for photographic competitions.
The World Photography Organisation (WPO) initially accepted Eldagsen’s โขentry, stating theโฃ competition “welcomesโ various experimental approachesโฃ toโ image making โfrom โcyanotypes andโ rayographs to cutting-edge digital practices.” Following correspondence with Eldagsen and warranties he provided, organizers believed the โentry โฃfulfilled the category criteria and plannedโ a Q&Aโค with him for their website. however, after Eldagsen publicly disclosed theโ image’s AI originsโ and acknowledgedโข “deliberateโ attempts at misleading” the judges, โtheโ WPO suspended its activitiesโ with him and removedโ him โฃfrom the competition.
“As he โข [Eldagsen] has now โdecided to โคdecline his award we have suspended ourโข activities with โขhim and in keeping with his wishes have โฃremoved him from the competition. given hisโ actions and subsequent statement notingโค his deliberate attempts โat misleading us, and therefore invalidating the warranties he provided, we no longer feel we are able to engage in a โmeaningful โand โconstructive โdialog with him,” the WPO said โin a statement.
The WPO emphasized that while AI has a place in artistic contexts, the awards are intended to “championโค the excellence and skill of photographers and artists working in โคthe medium.” The institution โฃrecognizes “the importance of this subject andโ itsโ impact on image-making today.”
