Everyone is promoting AI…

Up until now, I haven’t commented or written about AI that much, if at all. The primary reason is that I simply don’t care about it from a selfish standpoint. Unlike many creatives, AI doesn’t really impact me at all. I shoot for myself, for my future family, and as my way of leaving a mark on this world. My photography has revolved around documenting my reality, something AI simply can’t touch. Furthermore, I have been documenting all this online for many years, long before AI was used to sell a dishwasher.

However, as time goes on, this is becoming an even more potent topic. This is especially true given the rise of creators sucking up to generative AI companies, promoting them like good little boys, and then crying in the comments when challenged. This has been hard to ignore, so I figured I would share one blog with my take on all this nonsense.

AI is a tool, and just like any tool, it can be used for good and bad. The tool isn’t the problem. Greed, ego, and a lack of control are. I use AI all the time. I use it to check for typos when writing these blogs. I use it to quickly find a bunch of prices for an item in different countries. I use it to help with some research topics. I use it to remove a bunch of digital noise in my photos. I use it to remove stray reflections when shooting through a window. I also use it to find photos based on the subject. As you can see, I’m far from anti-AI given how much I use it. However, as I said earlier in this paragraph, this is a tool. A kitchen knife can be used to prepare a world class sushi platter. It can also be used for the most heinous crimes.

Now let’s talk about generative AI. Everyone has their reasons to dislike it. For some, it’s the obvious plagiarism and copyright issues. For others, it’s the environmental impact this technology has. Many people will rightfully protest the total abomination of jobs that this technology will bring. There are many other valid criticisms, however, there are only two which I feel apply to me the most.

Social media allowed us to filter our lives and create narratives that don’t reflect our reality. The “entrepreneurs” selling lifestyle courses to gullible young men. Or the fitness influencers promising that their workout plan is the only thing you need to stay in shape 24/7. Even if our motives are 100% good, it’s still easy to create an unrealistic reality. If you go on my Instagram page, you would assume I’m some jet setting twat with a trust fund. It’s a curated highlight reel of my photography over the last decade and it shows the top 0.1% of what I’ve created. Thankfully, through these blogs and YouTube, I can paint a more realistic picture, but you get the point.

So if social media allows us to only present the best side of ourselves for others to compare themselves to, then generative AI will allow us to create a totally fabricated fairytale. While for some it might involve riding a pink flying horse to the moon, for others it would mean creating a certain image used to fool people. The course sellers don’t need to rent a Lamborghini any more. They can just AI themselves into the car being driven through the mountains. Don’t believe me? I’ve already seen this shit from a creator I used to follow on IG. This opens the floodgates to an unfathomable tsunami of “content” that will wreak havoc on the minds of young and old.

The second reason is that no matter how convincing generative AI is, it’s not fucking real. It never happened, it didn’t exist, it has no meaning. A camera captures reality, a moment in time, a memory. For me, photography is about capturing my reality, my life, my experiences, and the people that matter to me. If I can generate all that, then what’s the point of even existing? No matter how amazing this technology will get, and believe me, we haven’t seen anything yet, it will never be real. Some people already live in virtual worlds. Myself, on the other hand, I will be outside touching grass.

So while I can appreciate the technological feat that generative AI brings, it means nothing to me. As for whether I will ever promote generative AI? Of course I will, for 10 million pounds. If they pay me that, believe me, I will sell out. When the dust settles, I can use a lot of that money to help real people in the real world. As for my opinion on “creators” promoting this stuff? Good luck.



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PhotographyRoman Fox