As a landscape photographer, my goal isn’t to produce amazing images. It’s to use photography as an excuse - as ‘permission’ - to get away from my computer and spend time in nature. A camera helps me to be present, to de-stress, and to really see the beauty around me. It’s physically impossible for AI to replicate, much less replace this experience. Great insights, as always. Thanks, Chelsea & Tony. 🙂👍

AI will be able soon to comment instantly on post by writing "first" before any human, replacing forever the best of humanity.

A really important discussion at this point. Many thanks to you both!

This was a great video. Speaking about the probability in the possibilities of AI really opened my eyes. Both of you express great insight about some expectations of AI. It is great to see how well both of you have raised questions about how to explore AI going forward. Thanks

Thanks Chelsea and Tony! Love your show! I'm a professional photographer for nearly 20 years. But as far as AI impacting our lives goes, fake photos are the least of our troubles. There's going to be massive changes in human life as a result of this technology and not all of it for the better.

Film photography will probably become even more popular now. What better way to authentic a photo than with an original negative.

I have been following you for a couple of years and have always gained great tools and skills from your content. Your discussions on AI are no exception! As a headshot, branding and portrait photographer, I’m being asked regularly on my opinion of AI. While I really hadn’t thought of it more than just a new editing tool, your videos have opened my eyes to not only the artistic value of AI but also the ethical issues that come along with it. I’m very glad you’ve really gone into what AI is all about. Thank you! I’m subscribed and will keep tuned in!

Great discussion as always and gave me some new ideas to think about. I’m an old school designer who started just before computers came on the scene. Everyone said we were all out of work and doomed. I’m still here and having a blast using all sorts of technology to create my images!. I can only say A.I is here to stay, embrace it and find a way to use it in your workflows. Don’t let A.I be the master of your work. I’m only just looking into how this could help me create my concept artwork but I can already see it’s use. I especially like the idea of using my photographs to generate new images and avoid the issues with copyright. I don’t really know if this affects graphic artist’s like me at the moment as I create mostly vector images that are for specific clients who require complete control of how something needs amending - it’s not something an A.I can do as most of my work has to stay confidential. However, I have been following some great conceptual artists who are doing amazing things with A.I. We have to learn to adapt or fail. Change is scary but if embraced can open up huge possibilities.

Everything is changing so fast I can't keep up. My staff spends an hour or more a day just keeping up with the tech. Crazy times... Great video, as always guys.

My Father used to run large photofinishing labs for Qualex (Kodak). The day he saw the first Apple digital camera, as horrible as the quality was, he told me his entire industry was doomed. He was right. Photography will always be an art, and there will always be a place for documenting events, but AI will reduce it to as small a niche as film photography or vinyl records occupy today. Most consumers don't care about how much time/work/money went into getting a shot...they only care about how they feel when they see the result. Respectfully, it's a losing battle to try to justify why "real" photography is better or how AI can corrupt the industry. It makes you look like the diamond industry desperately trying to develop technologies to differentiate lab diamonds from natural diamonds. Truth is, to most people, a diamond is a diamond. Instead, as experts in photography, you can leverage AI to create images that are far beyond what a typical consumer can make. Use your skills to create fabulous source material, and then use AI to make that material even more spectacular. Change is scary, but it's coming and everyone has to learn to cope with it.

Good morning my friend and thank you so much for sharing another wonderful video like always 👍🤗

Great work guys! We're all on this roller coaster, screaming our heads off, but somehow, right in the middle of the loop-the-loop, you pair are managing to say some really sensible words! Still, it's going to take some kind of Copernicus to tell us which way is up as all this unfurls.

Thanks for your discussion around this relatively new tech - and some of its implications for photographers and videographers.

I think with my job as a nature guide taking pics of people in nature, or any job where you're taking pics of specific people, photography still has a bright future. An algorithm using previous pics to manufacture "new" pictures is one thing, but when we're talking about taking specific pics of specific people (weddings, portraits, etc), there will always be a place for that.

I’m not sure when it happened, it has been a while, but it is so refreshing that Chelsea is no longer taking a backseat to these episodes. I love the balance she brings to the conversations. We are again at a tipping point in photography as technology continues to make it easier to produce and saturate the industry with visually appealing imagery. Ai is not to be dismissed and this was one of the best videos I’ve seen addressing it. I went kicking and screaming from black and white film, to color, to digital, to mirror less (more squirming than anything else). At the end we as creatives must look at a thing from different angles and learn to use the tools that help us to do what want to achieve. Thanks for this episode!

Great video. Thank you for your insightful analysis.

Sadly, AI (not only in photography) seems to be a representation of how society is shifting away from authenticity into some collective false persona.

Stable Diffusion is also REALLY good, you just need to know how to prompt well, as well as a lot of settings to mess with. its been able to make photo-realistic images for a long time.

That was one of the best discussions I have heard re Ai so far, well done. I think the part of Ai I don't like the most is the constant ' is this real' question that will be asked now, that has to addressed legally. There are so many 'photographers' out there now on social media platforms claiming their badly done Ai images as their own photography. Strange times ahead for sure. Ill stick to old school studio portraits with a bit of help from photoshop and lightroom I think at least my models have a soul, a story, a history and are not just shop window manikins that look real on the outside.Good luck everyone ...

R. Sweeney Thank you for a wonderful, thought-provoking video about an important topic. You guys have once again demonstrated that you are head and shoulders above the rest of the videographers in the industry.

The more I think about this topic the less I am capable of articulating the full breadth and complexity of it. It shatters some commonly held preconceptions about art mediums and professions, calls into question what constitutes authenticity and how to determine authorship, and even what art is in the first place. One thing I firmly dislike about these models is the fact that they were most likely trained on copyrighted material. I'm apprehensive to grant these tools the status of personhood at this point in time, so if they were trained on copyrighted material without the author's express consent, I think it represents an ethical dilemma. A human being is well within their rights to learn from and take inspiration from other artists. I don't know if the same courtesy could be afforded to a monetized tool.

I used to be a professions hand printer until Photoshop and digital came along and cost me my job. I feel that this will have the same impact on photographers. I spoke to some teenagers who are friends of my children and when I showed them examples they said we know it's not real but that doesn't matter. I can see the accountants now rubbing their hands saying we can save so much money by not hiring photographers or graphic artists. We'll just use A.I.

THANK YOU! You just gave me hope, and a Lot of ideas to Keep improoving my Photography Company. THNKS FOR EXIST to both of you!

Love you guys and your knowledge so much. Would be interesting to recreate same wedding photos in a few months and keep comparing to the first AI. I’m afraid this would all be too techy for me to keep up.

Hi @TonyAndChelsea, as someone who has been shooting professionally since the days of Nikon F2 (still own two F4S bodies), I've watched the arc of change you described and think you did a great job explaining the stages of grief those attached to older technology experience (film - digital - Photoshop - AI). This next phase is both spectacular and extremely unsettling. From time to time I've tested some of the platforms for their ability to produce well documented aircraft types. Strangely, I've not found a single one that can remotely deliver any accuracy. Some animals? Yes. Perhaps despite the extensive documentation there is much less there to train on (or intentionally a lower priority to train) than the Pope or some other public figure? I got an invite to Adobe's Firefly just last night. Frankly, my first test left me very unimpressed. Most of the results missed the intention of the prompts by a mile. Needless to say, there is both danger ahead for society and potential for good. Our species track record on such inflection points is uneven at best.

It was refreshing to see a more nuanced discussion about AI. Also, I remember first seeing Chelsea on the channel wondering, what would her role end up being in such a "technical" space, but seeing her at 27:05... That is some top tier emotional management moment

Super insightful video. Thank you!

I am not a photographer - in any form. Love this vid/pod cast. This is the most amazing and terrifying information, EVER! I am totally fascinated. As a public school teacher, I am wondering how this will impact my "take a picture, and send it to me" assignments. It is frightening - and exciting. Thanks for making this information so understandable to a non-photographer. Excellent work!

It isn't just photographers getting screwed. Levi's is testing AI-generated models to sell clothes under the excuse of "increasing diversity" when really they just want to not pay real models. One day you'll be uploading your face and body details to a clothes shop to see your virtual model trying on clothes for you. Edit: And it's not 'just models' being affected. Photographers, videographers, retouchers, stylists, makeup artists, graphic designers, producers... entire marketing campaigns could be reduced to one person entering prompts on a laptop.

I’m shock that you guys didn’t even mention Adobe Firefly 😅

Thank you guys, love all of your podcasts. I'm coming to terms with the situation. I doubt my recent certificate of excellence from the UK's Best Selling Bridal Magazine will make any difference now. I thought about how all the skills I've managed to learn will probably have been a waste of time with this era we are entering into.. Bless you both, you're awesome as usual and so so talented❤ ❤❤

First time viewer - and impressed with you level of conversation in this video - unnerving topic in a lot of ways.

Thanks for making me rediscover photography. I went back to film and it is so much more rewarding now as I appreciate the craft of manual work again

This is a great conversation! One of my favorite videos on this channel! Very well thought out, argued, and executed.

Thank you thank you thank you both for continuing to talk about it.

Btw love your channel and thank you for helping me pass my part 107.

Maybe AI doesn’t render the texts intentionally to avoid some copyright infringement regarding the brand names. It’s hard to believe that it can render almost perfectly any sort of images and it can’t render some simple texts. My opinion.

The big difference for me that separates AI from all the other technological advances of the past is the skill and thought required. Even with a fancy digital camera or the best paints you can buy or the most powerful computer for 3D, you can tell the difference between someone who truly understands the craft and has honed their skills. I have a very nice camera and have been taking photos for decades, but I know that I don't have the training and experience to be a professional photographer. There's not a lot that can replace knowledge of light and composition and whatever else for all art before now. Even trying to copy the greats doesn't guarantee the same quality. What scares me about AI is that so many of those elements specific to putting in the work can now be done automatically, too. It will help you create the most pleasing compositions and form light without you even telling it to because it's pulling from the best of the best. AI isn't looking at doodles on napkins or poorly lit snapshots. It's directly grabbing the best and most popular sources. It's using the skill and experience someone else worked hard for and just automatically using it as structure in your prompted image. I really liked your points about AI feedback loops and needing new source. That is true. One hopes. But that will make those best of the best even more elite than before. It'll be only the very best who are still needed. I'm saddened by the potential loss of value of what goes into an artist, not just the art. I'm worried that it's not a loss for artists so much as a loss for humanity.

You pose questions that we need to deal with urgently. Thank you!

This is great episode. You two are genuine people

All changes are unsettling for us photographers in the beginning, especially at this point when Ai-generated composites are more popular globally than "actual photography." The new change is art in my eyes. Always have room for the two. I'll keep going outside with my bulky camera to take pictures, enjoy the fresh air, and connect with nature while trying to stay up with the incredibly quick changes happening in the photography industry. Many thanks to Chelsea and Tony. Your videos have been well-received for years.‼😉

For me personally, photography is a part of the experience of „bring there”. The travel photos, documenting family events, the landscape and (last but not least) wildlife photography… The „sentimental value” of my photographs is a part of its intrinsic value - for me & mine, that is. AI genarated image will never give me this. So it is entirely possible that hobbyists/enthusiasts will carry the torch of „real photography” longer than the pros, who will have a hard time making a living from their craft. If this means being „left behind”… so be it! 🤷‍♂️

really great assessment of the progression of AI capability and the urgency of this topic. lots of things to think about!

Thanks for this very interesting and nuanced discussion!

Great discussion folks. I'm in the voiceover business and the AI voices are everywhere. But so far they are very limited in any nuance of tone of voice. We've had some corps drop us for AI voices but come back to us a few months later because AI is still too robotic. For now anyway. Thanks for all your great work and information. Cheers:)

Honestly it’s just another art form media, and not photography. I see it more as graphic design than photography itself; because in the end it’s all about mixing items into one image, like a collage. Thank you for opening up about this.

Hey T&C! I was studying up on how AI is affecting the photography industry and thought I'd share some interesting insights with you. It seems that as AI becomes more advanced, some tasks that we currently perform as photographers may be automated. For instance, there are automatic image enhancement tools that can improve the quality of images without requiring manual editing, and AI-powered algorithms that can analyze and select the best images based on factors such as composition, focus, and exposure. While these tools can make our workflow more efficient, they also have the potential to displace certain types of photography jobs. I found it particularly interesting that product photography may be particularly vulnerable to automation, as AI-powered tools can generate 3D models of products based on photographs, eliminating the need for manual product photography. Similarly, event photography may also be affected by AI, as automated cameras and algorithms can capture and select images without the need for a human photographer. However, I do think it's important to remember that while AI can automate some tasks, it can't replace our creativity and artistry as photographers. There will always be a need for skilled photographers who can bring a unique vision and perspective to their work. Plus, there may be new creative opportunities that arise as AI provides us with new tools and techniques for creating unique and innovative images. Ultimately, I think it's important for us to stay informed about new developments in AI and be willing to adapt to the changing landscape in order to remain competitive in the industry. What do you two think will be next BIG story for AI across the photography landscape? Thanks for all you do! ;-) T

You are really underestimating the impact of this to photographers and graphic designers. It will not just impact them it will completely eliminate them all together as we know it in certain fields.

Seems to me that this creates a new category of art. And it's more closely related to painting than photography. In my opinion, there's something special about photography that's been dying already: capturing a raw moment in time. That is, an unedited snapshot of reality. Using photoshop to make a photo "look better" is absolutely legitimate, but I have a deep appreciation and admiration for the purity of preserving a moment that actually happened; something that once was, and will never be exactly the same way again.

The check mark thing is actually a really good idea. I'm wondering how popular analog mediums will become in a world where so much can be generated by A.I. Film photography and LP records have had a surge in popularity and seems to be a reaction to the ever increasing digitalization.

Great conversation. Thanks

This video was so informative!

This is how the matrix was built. Love the content!

Thanka Tony and Chelsea, for such an excellent overview of AI from a photogrpahy perspecitive (and lot of food for thought!). One of your best videos!

Good and informative and thoughtful video. I agree with your assessments. Being forwarded can, perhaps in this case, be ‘for armed’.

I am really, really, *really* glad that three years ago I didn't start the photography business that I was planning to start (thankfully covid blocked that plan). We can all say "AI isn't there yet", but it's coming - oh boy is it coming. And as Tony and Chelsea have demonstrated, it's coming way faster than we expect and this improvement isn't going to stop. The only question now is how long before it's *good enough* to take your job or business?

You guys are great educators. I could see you guys doing great AI tutorials.

I think that the only way to stop this from getting worse is going to require federal legislative action. Requiring all these AI companies to delete all of their image references and require an opt-in system where photographers can only allow their images to be referenced. This would kneecap the entire AI explosion.

Good point and great review. PS...Your Mic's for this clip coming over a little hot.

You guys seem like a very nice couple and quite knowledgeable. Definitely subscribing to your channel.

I certainly agree on the requirement for an international standard for an encrypted embedded key within images produced by cameras that can be used to verify authentic human(non-AI) created images. Conversely, I would like to see standards for AI to also embed a similar key to ensure it is clear when and where it has generated or assisted with it. Software like lightroom etc, should also allow for this to be written into the output files (e.g. RAW to .jpg) just like the rest of the EXIF data. Websites/apps could find easy ways to present this alongside other metadata, so that the user can always check it. This is sorely needed for all types of photography, but photojournalism in particular, is an area where the authenticity of an image really counts for so much. We consume so much imagery through news media outlets, that AI images made to incite the worst reactions in people, may be a certainty without this system.

Real human here. Just want to say I love you two! Thanks for being real humans too. ❤️

Good video and very interesting, but as soon as you mentioned the IT crowd, I made my mind up, instant like haha. I do think that although someone may lose to AI in a sense with photography, the photography itself is an art form, those photographers know what they want in an image, I think that the best images generated with AI will be former photographers, as they know what would look good, so will prompt in the way they know looks good in that art form. The job may change, but I think the skill will never be lost, just refactored.

We've to embrace changes and progress. Resisting or denying it will not help. Thanks for warning us about the approaching tornado.

Wish I could go back to 2005. Then I would have bought a Canon 5D classic and enjoyed 20 years of pure photography.

Another take could be that since AI exists, real photos become more valued. As an example look at how film and polaroid photography has taken off in the past five years. Cell phones have made photography far easier and many of those digital photos while very good get cheapened because of how common cell phones with good cameras are. We as humans still value authenticity and the resurgence of film gives me hope that "real" photography is going to survive even if it takes a decline.

Thanks for the content. Please please keep feeding us the future of AI and photography. Many of us are grinding (lovingly so) and rely on you to help keep us updated.

Interesting post discssing some different aspects of AI. I am not sure where this is going, but personally, as a hobby photographer, for whom its important to see and take photos of our wonderful world, I am pretty relaxed about AI. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I am sure the media industrie will see the impact sooner or later.

Definitely a scary time, that is for sure! This video really makes you think more! Thanks!

The absence of limitation is the enemy of art. -Orson Welles

Very interesting, thank you.

Tony and Chelsea, I've learned much from you and others about my camera and about Lightroom and Photoshop. Should I now sell my R5 c and stop learning LR and PS? Will this give way to AI? Will it help to put a signature on my photos?

I saw a lovely vlog a while ago that said on one level photography is a EXCUSE to do what you already like to do (be out in nature, meet people, discover things). None of those are achieved by sitting at a computer using Midjourney. It may be, as workplaces change and people's jobs are replaced by AI, that jobs themselves become more like 'experiences' to keep people occupied and simply 'live'. Activities like photography might still be great for that. And maybe we need AI that dramatically enhances our ability to get away to great locations. The climate crisis will only accelerate the need for people to reduce the amount of clutter and 'tomorrow's garbage' that they produce, so there might not then be the same urgency around whether humans or machines can do things bigger and faster. The joy of low-footprint things might literally have to be the core priority.

The future belongs to those who prepare for it today….AI is here ….keep up to date!

Thank you Chelsea and Tony!

When we were switching to digital my boss couldn't handle it so he would tell me to bring out the Hasselblad for a few years before 5D came out.

"So we should come back after 3 months and admit we are wrong about this" I'm dying

It will all change again in less than a month

"It's the role of the government to actually look out for the citizens" - oh you sweet, summer child, government looks out for government, just like corporations.

Excellent as always. What do you think about Blue Willow?

I’m hoping that camera manufacturers will introduce some sort of security code into our digital images or images in general to safe guard their industry and protect our images from being used without consent. Can see many images being stolen for some idiots pleasure and not paying the real costs of the image. Let’s hope. Always open to new tech if it’s done right. Great video guys

I don't know if the average person even knows that AI is making photos, and if they do, they don't realize the realistic quality. I remember about two years ago, learning for the first time and see AI made human faces. It was staggering.

Great content! We need to explore Opportunities that will arise from AI basically taking over most jobs. Only then, can we be prepared for the future.

Better adapt and see what tools we can utilize in photography, i do Photgraphy for stress / health reasons but i can see the concern for someone who does this for income. Alot of good topics, Tony and Chelsea.

I’ve been using mid journey since fall 2022 for unique backdrops for some of my portrait work

AI can't replace the two of you. Keep up the great work.

😮35 years ago, I attended school to learn analog photography and spent up to 8 hours in the darkroom to refine my craft. I was skeptical when digital cameras were introduced, but now I incorporate both mediums in my photography. With the help of AI tools like Mid Journey and others, I am constantly learning and improving my skills to elevate my photography to a higher level. I have even learned to connect my digital camera to my phone and use GCam (Google Pixel software) with its own AI to achieve perfectly balanced photos. As time progresses, we must adapt and embrace new technologies like AI to continue improving our craft. Thanks for sharing this video.

thanks for giving me a lot to think about.

Photography is about capturing reality, capturing actual life, this feels like the exact opposite of that. Its cool and all and I can think of a lot of uses to it but it's never going to replace photography unless in the future we get actual AI robots that take photos lol, also I don't know how to feel about it actually taking real photos from photographers (even with the watermarks) as input for what it creates, it feels like stealing to me, same for the "AI art" that takes actual art and artstyles from people as input without their consent for it

My greatest worry is this transforming into video. Through 3D tools and raytracing, which is also getting a boost through AI, you could make it quite convincing. (Yes, I think you're wrong Tony. The animation industry is on to AI aš well.) I'm sure there are people who would love using it for fake documentaries and news pieces, when we really depend on these things being at least partially real.

I have been trying to watch this video for a few days now. But it always seems to stop in the middle (photo of the dove with the red ribbon) and then it gets stuck on trying to load the rest of it

As Always, THANK YOU both! ; o )

Honestly I’m scared because I’m just started pursuing getting my work noticed by places, taking photography from hobby to profession is already daunting, Im already competing with Instagram photographers and now add AI feel trapped. I know AI cannot replicate my voice, but why should places hire me or share my work when they can get pay AI program to create their work. It’s scary, frustrating and just overall overwhelming.

As a graphic designer when I first interacted with this I was shocked. Mixed feelings. I couldn't tell how I felt about it, I still don't but then it also did something for me that I couldn't do before on my own which was to be the art director I truly wanted to be for my own ideas (or atleast come close to it). I've had clothing ideas for over a decade that I felt couldn't be told without proper photography/presentation. Where in the world was I going to find money to hire "high end luxury models" and top notch photographers to shoot in almost dream like locations? As a graphic designer I can create an identity, a website, a brochure... I can manipulate, but because I'm not a photographer nor have thousands of dollars laying around to experiment and test out ideas I felt that it couldn't properly execute them. So I always kept those things in the "vault" and every now and then I'll come across that stock photo that would inch me closer to how I envision it or manipulate photos together to try and create the feeling I was looking for. It's stifling and deep down a lot of us know there is this invincible ceiling due to lack of resources, money, connections and/or access. The closest you get to that type of creative direction/synergy is when your partner is also a creative like you or you have close friends in similar fields and even then you're not always going to manage to get everyone to work on your time as we got our own ideas and our own lives to live too. AI has kinda democratize the playing field. If you're a photographer but not a graphic designer and want to use design to present your work the AI can be that piece you need. If you're a designer but don't shoot, same thing. If you're a copywriter but don't shoot or design, AI can assist you there too. Of course there's the "yea but it's taking money away from said photographer, designer, copywriter etc" argument. Yes, maybe and it is... but I think for the first time in history our ideas are no longer bounded by what we can't do. It's finally becoming about creative intention FIRST. Cameras, software, tools, computers, stock, vectors, templates, brushes, resources, money, etc. were always a means to an end and AI is just that, another tool to be used to express our innate desire to be creative. On the flipside, I get the argument against it and won't argue it either. It's an interesting time to be in and cool to be witnessing what is happening.

25:33 yes BUT the source picture can be taken by anyone with any phone. It doesn't need to be taken by a professional in some amazing environment. Same with video. Press stuff and promotions are totally getting generated by AI in the future.

You guys are great, thanks for the update, looking forward to hearing more.

One problem with the digital signature idea is that an AI image could be re-photographed and thus marked authentic.

I have not even started to watch a video, but - yes, we are. AI is like an alien life form, but immortal, and it will be everywhere. Good luck.

Hi! In a way, having a background generated is no more ›vheating‹ than using a canvas background in a studio, is it?

Certain areas of photography will be fine - wedding photography for example, where people want photos of *their* wedding, not photos of *a* wedding.