Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized many aspects of our lives, including photography. AI-enhanced photos are images that have been modified or generated by AI models, such as those that can change the style, color, or content of a photo, or create realistic portraits of people who do not exist. AI-enhanced photos can be used for various purposes, such as entertainment, education, art, or marketing. However, they also pose significant ethical and social challenges that need to be addressed before they become ubiquitous and uncontrollable.

One of the main challenges of AI-enhanced photos is the potential for deception and manipulation. AI-enhanced photos can be used to create fake or misleading information, such as deepfakes, which are videos or images that show someone doing or saying something they never did or said. Deepfakes can be used to harm the reputation, privacy, or security of individuals or groups, or to influence public opinion or behavior. For example, deepfakes have been used to spread political propaganda, blackmail celebrities, or impersonate executives. Moreover, AI-enhanced photos can make it difficult to distinguish between reality and fiction, eroding trust and credibility in digital media.

Another challenge of AI-enhanced photos is the impact on human identity and dignity. AI-enhanced photos can alter or replace the authentic representation of oneself or others, affecting how people perceive themselves and their relationships. For instance, AI-enhanced photos can be used to enhance one's appearance or abilities, creating unrealistic expectations or standards of beauty or performance. Alternatively, AI-enhanced photos can be used to degrade or humiliate someone, violating their dignity or consent⁸. Furthermore, AI-enhanced photos can create synthetic identities that do not correspond to any real person, raising questions about their rights and responsibilities.

A third challenge of AI-enhanced photos is the effect on social justice and equality. AI-enhanced photos can reflect or reinforce the biases and prejudices of their creators or users, leading to discrimination or marginalization of certain groups. For example, AI-enhanced photos can be used to manipulate the representation of race, gender, or ethnicity in media or history, or to exclude or target specific populations in advertising or surveillance. Additionally, AI-enhanced photos can create or widen the gap between those who have access to and benefit from these technologies and those who do not.

These challenges are not inevitable, but they require careful consideration and action from various stakeholders, such as researchers, developers, regulators, educators, journalists, and consumers. Some possible solutions include developing ethical guidelines and standards for the creation and use of AI-enhanced photos, implementing technical measures to detect and verify the authenticity of digital images, educating the public about the potential risks and benefits of AI-enhanced photos, and promoting critical thinking and media literacy skills among users.

AI-enhanced photos are not inherently good or bad, but they have significant implications for our society and culture. As these technologies become more advanced and accessible, we need to be aware of their perils and possibilities, and ensure that they are used responsibly and ethically.

By Mayowa Lateef

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It's the deceit I can't stand. It began when we let people get away with being called beautiful with photo filters. Next they got away with altered studio pictures. Now they've taken flight with AI pictures.

What's even worse is, as at this point, these AI-generated images of themselves are very easy to spot.
You'd see one below-average self-deceptive person post them with lengthy captions interjected with words such as "beautiful" and "hot", all the while cheered on by a horde of opportunistic folks hoping they'd score brownie points in the inbox with the undeserved adulations.

I read yesterday that these low self-esteemed folks were even paying monies to others to help them generate AI images of themselves.

But away from social media and the internet, when they look in the mirror or see reflections of themselves in passing, reality would hit hard.
You can't lie to your mirror when you wake up at dawn or before you retire for the night. That's the real you and a gazillion AI photos can't change your reality.


Cruel? Maybe; but people who do this need a reality check.