What a coincidence that AI was the topic here a couple of weeks ago. Honestly, fellow photogs, I thought we had maybe a bit more time before the revolution. However, here we are. A paradigm shift for professional photographers has arrived and it’s called Photowand.ai. It’s what in industry parlance would be referred to as a game changer. Or in dystopian film terms, Terminator: Rise Of The Machines. 

For those of you still reading and not clicking that link right away, I appreciate your attention. When you do go to look at that website. you’ll be shocked at the level of quality, ease of use and how inexpensive digital photo processing and creation has become. In fact, I wish the company was paying me to hype their product because I don’t really have anything critical to say about it. Other than it is going to make landing gigs and clients even more challenging.

Now, there is certainly no replacement for human interaction, connection and vibes a photographer brings to an event. Until robots get to the same level of mobility, that type of work will still be around. As photogs, we will all need to be mindful of maintaining the highest level of customer service and quality of work to reinforce our worth to existing and potential clients. 

Another pressing matter, however, is what happens to things like equipment and software? Not sure if you all know this, but iPhones currently shoot 300dpi images. If a AI service can create any scenario you ask with an even a mediocre or poorly lit image, is Photoshop destined for digital dustbin alongside relics like Skype, ICQ and Oregon Trail? The Creative Cloud package I currently subscribe to has both PS and Lightroom with pricing similar to the Photowand,ai Pro plan. If I was Adobe right now, I would be either be rethinking my subscription model or planning a hostile takeover.

I have always been a huge advocate of instilling discussions about the ethics involved in this new age of technology. Photography is still a creative medium and I think most of us are involved in it because it stimulates our artistic needs. But there are big concepts to consider. Most importantly, yes, AI can process your photos at a lightning speed but at what point is it completely your work anymore? 

Of course, there is always the argument that raged during the Industrial Revolution about how much time it will save. Will it make your life easier and allow you to gain the most important resource of time? Maybe. But what good is time saved if you don’t have anything to use it for?

Photo taken at Queen Elizabeth Park Community Centre And Cultural Centre in Oakville, Ontario.