Sony World Photography Awards snubbed after win by AI-created image

A Berlin-based photographer has won the prestigious international photography competition with an AI-generated image, only to refuse the award and spark the debate on the role of artificial intelligence in art.

German photographer Boris Eldagsen rejected his first prize recognition from the Sony World Photography Awards, stating that AI-generated images and traditional photography should not compete in the same contests.

Eldagsen said in a statement on his website that he entered the competition as a “cheeky monkey” to test whether such events were prepared to handle AI-generated content and called for a debate on AI’s role in photography.

His winning work, a black-and-white image titled Pseudomnesia: The Electrician, features two women standing one behind the other and has been selected as the winner of the open creative category.

Eldagsen argued that AI-generated content and photography should not be conflated, stating, “AI is not photography.” He said the organizers of the prestigious competition missed the opportunity to contribute to the debate and ignored the questions he and the media raised.

The organizers initially accused Eldagsen of deliberately misleading them but later removed the accusation from an edited statement.

The awards body noted that AI elements are “relevant” in artistic contexts of image-making. Still, it said it would continue to be a “platform for championing the excellence and skill” of photographers and artists.

Last year, an AI-generated picture also won a prize at the annual Colorado State Fair art competition. The work, entitled Théâtre D’opéra Spatial by Jason M. Allen via Midjourney, won the category for emerging digital artists. It also sparked a debate about AI’s role in art.