“A.I. CAPTAIN”

RISE OF THE MACHINES

I’ve just returned from the Wales and West Photography Show where, besides all the shiny new kit you’d expect to see, the main topic of conversation among those people I spoke to was one that’s causing a right old kerfuffle in the world of photography.

Artificial Intelligence applications have recently been added into the major image processing software suite and it’s fair to say that’s its not universally popular. A.I. in this iteration allows users to completely remove items, add items that weren’t orginally there and even change images that were taken in daylight into night scenes. All at the click of a button or two.

“Fraud,” “deception” and “cheating” are just a few of the emotive words I’ve seen used on various forums (and no, they weren’t discussing the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom…..), though to be fair, image manipulation has been around for some time. Long before Photoshop was even thought of, Ansel Adams, the great American landscape photographer, produced some of his finest work in the 1920s and 30s through altering light and shade in images via many long hours in his darkroom. He made no secret of the fact and encouraged others to do likewise. People complained about authenticity and he was shunned by a number of fellow professionals but he won out. His methods became accepted by the majority and soon became the norm.

After World War 2 the huge rise in popularity of consumer cameras saw many enthusiasts create their own darkrooms, usually in attics or even in under stairs cupboards! The ability to alter contrast and exposure was seen as a huge breakthrough. People were able to manipulate images at home for the first time ! Fast forward to the digital age and the introduction in 1990 of Adobe’s Photoshop which became the go to editing software for professionals and amateurs alike. We’ve all heard the phrase “its been Photoshopped” to describe something that looks fake. The truth is Photoshop, like all image editing software, is simply one part of the image creating process.

All of these advances and innovations caused a stir and splits in the photographic community at various times despite them clearly being just another addition to the photographer’s toolbox. A.I. feels different though, possibly because it’s such a quantum leap. Or is it because of the fear of sentient machines?…….

Artificial intelligence is a machine’s ability to perform the cognitive functions we usually associate with human minds.

I remember watching Will Smith in “I, Robot”in the early 2000s with fascination. Learning that the original concept came from Isaac Asimov in the 1950s is even more fascinating! For those that haven’t seen the film, it deals with a potential threat to humanity from increasingly intelligent mass-produced robots. Science Fiction then perhaps, but now? One of the drawbacks of being in the car at mad o’clock for early or late photography trips is the stuff you get to listen to on the radio (with all due respect to the very talented Yvonne Mattocks who’s excellent Radio Warrington show doesn’t quite make it to South Wales). I recently heard a discussion on A.I. where the highly qualified professor being interviewed actually said “experts” (whoever they might be. We never found out) are extremely concerned about A.I.’s ability to learn and that it will pose an existential threat to mankind in the next two years. He gave no detail on who these experts might be so I’m guessing it was a tabloid moment. Think about it for a second though. If remotely true, we should be hearing something at governmental. or probably global level, about plans to limit use of certain A.I. applications. Like nuclear weapons, deadly viruses and vuvuzelas, these things can have devastating effects in the wrong hands. Now I’m not suggesting for one second that A.I. applications in image editing software is a threat to humanity but I’m trying to show the broader picture (pun intended).

A.I. learns on the hoof, so to speak, and could quickly outthink humans if allowed free reign. Geoffrey Hinton, the “godfather of A.I.” recently expressed major concerns that his invention could pose as great a threat to humanity as pandemics and nuclear weapons proliferation. Although AI can perform life-saving tasks, such as algorithms analysing medical images like X-rays, scans and ultrasounds, its fast-growing capabilities and increasingly widespread use have raised concerns. Fake images used to create tensions between super powers are becoming common. The big fear, though, is that as machines become more and more intelligent and more powerful, the day might come where the capacity vastly exceeds that of humans and humans lose the ability to stay in control. Mitigating the risk from A.I. will surely become a global priority if these doomsday scenarios are not to become reality.

Phew. That got heavy quickly!! Back on your head Tim…..

So where do I stand on the issue of A.I. aiding image editing? To be honest I’m not getting my undegarments in a tangle just yet. It has its uses and I’ve tried a Beta version of Photoshop that can change the colour of clothes, place wildebeest into the vastness of the Brecon Beacons, and add rainbows to a scene. It’s a very powerful tool and I found it great fun to use but it’s not for me I’m afraid. The real pleasure for me is creating the image in camera and hopefully capturing a moment I’ll recall many years later. When reviewing archive images I can remember every single occasion and it almost like being transported back there. A.I. couldn’t give me that. Never say never though because if it can fix some of my duff images I’ve rejected over the years then I might take another look.

I can understand the consternation though and there will always be people who will use manipulated images as their own work but they need to be honest with their audience before trying to pass it as authentic. “Integrity” appears to be a buzzword in British politics at present, but it certainly applies here even if it doesn’t in Westminster. I’m all for advances in technology and I’m looking forward to watered down versions making their way into everyday image processing.

So until A.I. can cook me a banging chicken Madras or make me look good in selfies, I’ll say thanks but no thanks. But who knows, this time next year Rodney a bot could be writing these blogs (see, told you there was an upside…….).