Boris Eldagsen, a German artist, has refused to accept the Sony World Photography Award for the Creative Open category after admitting that his winning image was generated using artificial intelligence (AI). The image, titled "Pseudomnesia: The Electrician," depicts two women standing close together, one behind the other, in black and white. Eldagsen said he used AI to create the image as an experiment to see if photography competitions were prepared for AI images to enter. He also said that he did not believe that AI-generated images should be considered photography.
The World Photography Organisation, which organizes the Sony World Photography Awards, said that Eldagsen had informed them that he had used AI to create the image before he was announced as the winner. They said that the creative category of the open competition welcomes various experimental approaches to image making, including AI.
Eldagsen's decision to refuse the award has sparked a debate about the future of photography. Some people believe that AI-generated images are not real photography and should not be eligible for photography awards. Others believe that AI is a new tool that can be used to create innovative and creative images. It remains to be seen how the photography world will ultimately define AI-generated images.