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Generative AI

IS IT REAL; OR IS IT MEMOREX?

In the mid-1970s, Memorex—a company once a pioneer in the tech industry—advertised its audio recording tape with the slogan “Is it real or is it Memorex.”  The Company’s conceit: that its product was so real one could not tell the difference between a live performer—Ella Fitzgerald—and a tape recording of her singing.  Their television ad demonstrated Ms. Fitzgerald hitting a high note and shattering a wine glass; followed by a recording of Ms. Fitzgerald’s voice, again, shattering the glass.

In early 2023, Adobe Inc.—a pioneer in today’s tech industry —began including in its Beta version of Photoshop the ability to manipulate photographs with Artificial Intelligence programming, including “Generative Fill AI”.  The new programming made it possible to easily remove/replace objects from photographs and, strikingly, to alter a photograph so that the image presents as an oil or watercolor painting. 

To make effective use of AI, images must be computer manipulated before they can be submitted to Photoshop for Generative Fill processing.  The original photograph must be processed in a program such as Lightroom to fulfill the photographer’s artistic vision.  If the photographer intends to use Generative Fill the image must be properly developed so that the result of Fill processing is successful.  Photographs with expanses of blue sky and white clouds often present pleasingly when converted to oil paintings.  Dark scenes frequently convert to dramatic watercolors.   

The ability to easily manipulate photographs intensifies questions that have been posed since the invention of photography in the 1820s: Is photography art?; can it be relied upon to relay the truth?; must art tell the truth?; what is truth?; are photographs supposed to tell the truth?

This exhibit provides several examples of the application of AI to photography.  What do the results tell us?  Are these just some pretty pictures with nice colors?  Are the images sufficiently captivating so that the viewer seeks to examine the image, not just glance at it and move on?  Must the viewer draw on his or her history to form an understanding of what they are looking at, does it evoke emotion?  Is it art or just a creature of coding?