PhotoVogue Festival 2023: The Talks
This conversation took place on November 17th 2023 as part of the PhotoVogue Festival 2023 which centered around the theme “What Makes us Human?: Image in the Age of A.I.”
Using artificial intelligence, photorealistic images can be generated in seconds, depicting people and places that never existed and events that never happened. These synthetic images threaten the livelihood and credibility of photographers, as well as potentially transforming what is thought of as real. But it also allows a more imaginative and at times playful way of depicting much that is outside the realm of photography, including the future and the distant past, thoughts and dreams, and the perspectives of people whose stories are not always fully told. Where is this revolution in imaging taking us, and where do we want to go? “A.I., Photography, and our Futures” will try to find an answer to this urging question.
This talk is curated by Fred Ritchin, Dean Emeritus of the International Center of Photography. Ritchin was previously professor of Photography and Imaging at New York University for more than twenty years. Ritchin was also picture editor of Horizon and the New York Times Magazine, executive editor of Camera Arts magazine, created the first multimedia version of the New York Times newspaper, and then conceived and edited the Times’s first non-linear online documentary project, “Bosnia: Uncertain Paths to Peace,” nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in public service. He also conceptualized the Four Corners Project, a software that now allows photographers to contextualize their imagery, and is working with major organizations on ways to support the credibility of the photograph as a witness in the age of artificial intelligence. He also teaches and lectures widely on photography, human rights, artificial intelligence, and alternative media.
His books on the future of imaging include In Our Own Image: The Coming Revolution in Photography (1990), After Photography (2008), and Bending the Frame: Photojournalism, Documentary, and the Citizen (2013); his next book will be The Synthetic Eye, to be published by Thames Hudson in 2024, on the challenges of artificial intelligence. He has also written essays in dozens of other books, curated numerous exhibitions throughout the world including ones on alternative documentary and art practices, Latin American photography, and most recently on Ukraine after the Russian invasion. He has also worked on human rights campaigns for the United Nations and other organizations including ones to end polio globally, to support the Millennium Development Goals, and to advance the understanding of war crimes. He lives in New York and Paris.
"A.I., Photography, and our Futures" is part of day 1 “Charting New Territories: The Ethical Implications of A.I. in Image Creation” of the Symposium taking place at BASE Milano on Friday 17th November.
The event is free and everyone is welcome to attend.
The recording of this panel will be uploaded after the Festival.
Friday 17th November - Day 1 “Charting New Territories: The Ethical Implications of A.I. in Image Creation” will also feature:
- “Text to Image Prompt: The technology and science behind A.I. and what it could mean for image makers?” by Mel McVeigh
- “How the Content Authenticity Initiative Combats Digital Mis/Disinformation” by Santiago Lyon
- “Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and Law: Can EU regulations protect humanity?” by Guido Noto La Diega
- “Multimedia forensics when digital photography meets artificial intelligence” by Paolo Bestagini
- "Navigating Truth in the Age of A.I.: Fact-Checking and Media Literacy" by Daniele Moretti
- "Real Tone Imagining A.I. for Communities of Color" by Florian Koenigsberger
- “Addressing Ethical Dilemmas: Image in the age of A.I.”, Group Discussion
PhotoVogue Festival is a project directed by Alessia Glaviano (Head of Global PhotoVogue) and co-curated by Francesca Marani (Senior Photo Editor, Vogue Italia), Chiara Bardelli Nonino (Editor, Writer and Curator), Daniel Rodríguez Gordillo (Content Operations Strategy Manager, Condé Nast) and Caterina De Biasio (Visual Editor, PhotoVogue)
