Faux-tography

A stunning photograph stops you in your tracks as you scroll through your social media feed. It is a perfect snapshot of a beautiful landscape, with crystal-clear water, lush greenery and a stunning mountain range in the distance. But not everything is quite as it seems.

Last year, the ColoradoA state in the west of the US that contains much of the Rocky Mountains. State Fair's annual art competition awarded first prize to photographer Jason M Allen. But unbeknownst to them, he had created his winning masterpiece with Midjourney, an Artificial IntelligenceArtificial intelligence, or "AI," is the ability for a computer to think and learn. With AI, computers can perform tasks that are typically done by people, including processing language, problem-solving, and learning. programme that turns text into graphics.

Now, the same thing has happened again. Judges of the prestigious SonyA Japanese technology company that produces electronic goods. World Photography Awards failed to spot an AI generated image. This time the "artist", Boris Eldagsen German, refused to accept the prize, saying he had been a "cheeky monkey".  

In recent weeks, other AI generated items have fuelled discussion across the world. An AI-generated image of the PopeThe bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church. wearing a puffer jacket, dubbed the "Balenciaga Pope", gained millions of views. And an AI-generated song, seemingly with vocals from Drake and the Weeknd, was seen 15 million times on TikTok before being taken down.

It is not just photography and art that are at risk either. A German weekly magazine ran an interview with Michael Schumacher, the seven times Formula One champion who has not been seen in public since a serious skiing accident nearly 10 years ago. Only they didn't - the whole interview was conducted with an AI chatbotA chatbot is a computer programme that simulates human conversation or "chatter" through text or voice interactions.. The family are now planning legal action against the magazine, and its editor has been sacked.

And there will be more to come. AI is becoming more and more advanced. Google's chief executive, Sundar Pichai, says concerns about AI have kept him awake at night. Some fear we are in danger of living in a world where we can never know what is and is not true, and even our judgements will not help. 

Rene Descartes, the French philosopher who famously stated, "I think, therefore I am", came to the conclusion that we could not fully trust even our senses. Now, our faith in our eyes and ears is at risk - and it could undermine confidence in both the media, and our own perceptions.

Others say it is too soon to sound the warning bells. AI photography still has limitations. There are usually telltale signs that give away the artificial nature of AI images, such as a lack of detail, inconsistent lighting or inaccurate replications of everyday things such as hands.

Yes: Despite the impressive advances in AI technology, it still has limitations that give away its artificial nature. And technology will no doubt advance to make it easier to verify images' authenticity.

No: AI can produce realistic images that can be hard to distinguish from real ones, making it difficult to trust our eyes entirely. If experts cannot spot fakes, then ordinary people stand little chance.

Or... To determine the authenticity of images, we need to approach them with a critical eye, verify their sources, and be aware of the potential for digital manipulation.