German Artist Rejects Photography Award for AI-generated image

German artist Boris Eldagsen has declined his winning prize from the Sony World Photography Award after revealing that his winning entry was created using artificial intelligence.

Eldagsen used the picture to test the competition and initiate a conversation about AI-generated images and the future of photography.

He acknowledged that he had been a “cheeky monkey” and thanked the judges for selecting his image, while questioning if any of them knew it was AI-generated.

The organizers of the award claim that he misled them about the extent of AI used in the creation of the image.

AI’s appropriateness and utility regarding photography, especially deep fakes, has come into focus.

The World Photography Organisation is looking forward to engaging in a more in-depth discussion on this topic and welcoming Eldagsen’s wish for dialogue by preparing questions for a dedicated Q&A with him for their website.