{"id":83288,"date":"2025-03-16T13:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-16T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/punkt.hu\/?p=83288"},"modified":"2025-07-11T21:17:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T19:17:18","slug":"ai-generated-images-are-not-photography-interview-with-boris-eldagsen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/punkt.hu\/en\/2025\/03\/16\/ai-generated-images-are-not-photography-interview-with-boris-eldagsen\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201eAI-generated images are not photography\u201d \u2013 Interview with Boris Eldagsen"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Boris Eldagsen became widely known when he won the Sony World Photography Award in 2023 with an image created using AI-generated software. Eldagsen rejected the award and later became a key figure in the international discourse on the relationship between artificial intelligence and photography. Punkt reached out to the artist, who responded to our questions in writing.<\/b><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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01<\/span>03<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Photo: \u00a9 Andreas Schmidt: Boris Eldagsen<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tB.L.\t\t\t\t<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t
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When and why did you start experimenting with AI-generated images? What inspired you to do so?<\/b><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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I started experimenting with AI-generated images in 2022 because of my ongoing project TRAUMA PORN. It addresses trauma as a long-term consequence of war and uses vintage photography from Nazi Germany and World War II as source material for AI-generated and experimentally altered imagery.\u00a0 <\/span>I also wanted to see if AI-generated images could become a part of this project. This is why \u201cTHE ELECTRICIAN\u201d has a 1940s vibe. Additionally, my philosophical interest in the 'human condition' and my past collaborations with fellow artists played a big role in shaping my approach to AI.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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What message did you intend to convey by submitting an AI-generated image to the competition? Was your goal to challenge the photography community?<\/b><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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By submitting an AI-generated image to the Sony World Photography Awards, my goal was to spark a critical discussion about the impact of AI on photography. I wanted to test whether photography competitions were prepared to handle AI-generated content and to highlight the urgent need for clear distinctions between photography and AI imagery. I wanted to help the photo community, to kick-off a conversation that was desperately needed. When I refused the award, I wanted to make a strong statement: AI-generated images and traditional photography are fundamentally different and should not compete in the same categories.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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How has your life and career changed since *PSEUDOMNESIA: The Electrician* won the award?<\/b><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Winning\u2014and then rejecting\u2014the Sony World Photography Award in 2023 completely changed my life and career. I\u2019ve become a central voice in global discussions about AI\u2019s impact on photography, and my actions have sparked a massive debate about the boundaries between AI-generated art and traditional photography.
\nNow, I focus on the future of creativity and help to define the remaining strengths of photography, those that AI will not be able to replace. I just curated the exhibition \u201cRIVALS \u2013 Photography vs Promptography\u201d for European Month of Photography Berlin. The exhibition\u00a0works as a toolbox that the photography and\u00a0promptography\u00a0community can use and develop - to further differentiate what the strengths of each media is.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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01<\/span>03<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Boris Eldagsen:
PSEUDOMNESIA I\n
The Connaisseur<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>

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Do you think AI-generated images can become part of photography, or should they be considered a completely separate art form?<\/b><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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AI-generated images should be considered a completely separate art form. That\u2019s why I coined the term *promptography*\u2014to distinguish AI-generated works from traditional photography. The two processes are fundamentally different. Photography is about capturing light and engaging with the external world, being present, while promptography exists entirely in a digital realm, driven by algorithms and text prompts. It\u2019s strength is to express an inner journey, a psychological approach. Each medium has its own merits and applications, and blending them under the same category only creates confusion.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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What ethical or controversial issues do you see in the relationship between AI art and photography?<\/b><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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There are several major ethical and controversial issues that AI brings into photography:<\/p>\n

1. Blurred Boundaries<\/strong><\/p>\n

AI-generated images and traditional photography are not the same thing. AI doesn\u2019t engage with light or reality the way a camera does, which is why I argue for a clear separation between photography and \u201cpromptography\u201d.<\/p>\n

\n2. Copyright and Ethics<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many AI platforms are trained on copyrighted material without proper consent, which raises serious ethical questions. Artists\u2019 work is being used without their permission or compensation, and that\u2019s a major issue.<\/p>\n

3. Transparency<\/strong><\/p>\n

AI-generated images need to be clearly labeled to prevent deception. We need quality control to determine whether an image has been AI-processed to ensure authenticity in photography.<\/p>\n

My goal is to push for these discussions and advocate for ethical standards as AI continues to evolve.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Are there any AI tools or technologies that you find particularly exciting? How do you see this field evolving?<\/b><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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I find AI tools like Flux, MidJourney, and Magnific incredibly exciting.
\nLooking ahead, AI will define what is left of photography. Many non-documentary forms of photography will likely be replaced by AI-generated visuals. AI will become an essential part of creative workflows, making production faster and more cost-effective.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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01<\/span>03<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Boris Eldagsen:
PSEUDOMNESIA I
The Electrician<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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What kind of reactions have you received from the photography community and the general public? Were there any opinions that particularly surprised or made you think?<\/b><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The reactions have mostly been positive. Around 90% of the feedback I\u2019ve received has been supportive. People appreciate that I sparked this debate and pushed for clearer distinctions between AI-generated images and traditional photography. It showed me just how much people were already thinking about these issues, and it encouraged me to keep pushing for deeper discussions around AI in art.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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01<\/span>03<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Boris Eldagsen:
PSEUDOMNESIA III \n
The Clairvoyant<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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01<\/span>03<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Boris Eldagsen:\n
PSEUDOMNESIA III \n
Not to myself<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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What advice would you give to artists and photographers who want to experiment with AI-generated images?<\/b><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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If you\u2019re an artist or photographer interested in AI, approach it with curiosity and creativity.<\/p>\n