The rise of generative artificial intelligence does not signal the end of photography, but it profoundly redefines the value of images, their uses, and the role of the photographer.
Creating an image has never been easier. With just a few lines of text, tools like Midjourney or DALL·E can now generate credible visuals almost instantly. This technological shift might suggest that photography is under threat… Will AI kill photography?
Yet the real question lies elsewhere: what is an image worth in a world where anyone can create one?
The First Sectors Disrupted by Artificial Intelligence
The observation is now clear across many fields: artificial intelligence is gradually integrating into sectors as varied as translation, article writing, software development, and content creation. It automates certain tasks, accelerates processes, and progressively reshapes the skills that are expected. In this context, the profession of photographer is no exception.
Generic illustration and stock photography are among the first areas to be heavily impacted. Why purchase an image from a stock library when a tool can instantly generate a visual tailored to a specific need at very low cost? Traditional illustrative images, often interchangeable and produced in large quantities to meet similar demands—have gradually lost part of their relevance. This shift does not threaten creativity itself, but it weakens an economic model that sometimes relied on the rapid production of functional images at the expense of originality.
The same phenomenon affects entry-level professional portrait photography. Today, a simple selfie can be transformed by AI into a polished, well-lit, and credible LinkedIn portrait. As a result, part of the corporate portrait market is being deeply transformed.
On the Ground, a Different Reality Emerges
By contrast, when it comes to documenting reality, the situation is very different. Few people would accept replacing wedding memories with entirely fabricated images. Documentary photography is based on the same requirement: to bear witness to events that truly took place.
This shift is also visible in portrait photography. During some studio sessions, photographers now tend to systematically mention or tag the people present. What once seemed like a trivial gesture has become a way to confirm an essential reality: the subject was indeed present at the moment the photo was taken, and the image is the result of a genuine encounter.
In this context, photography takes on an unexpected role. It becomes a point of reference in the face of an increasing volume of artificial content—a trace of reality and a testimony to a moment truly lived. As the boundary between reality and fiction blurs, authenticity becomes a key criterion in determining what gives an image meaning.
When the Abundance of Images Blurs Our Perception of Reality
Nowadays, the term ‘slop’ is used to describe this new reality. Originally referring to something like unappetizing mush, the word now describes a mass of generic, impersonal images produced continuously. We have entered a period of visual saturation where the number of images keeps increasing while their impact diminishes. The paradox is striking: the easier it becomes to create images, the harder it becomes for any single image to hold our attention over time.
But this visual saturation has a deeper consequence: it does not only make images less visible, it also makes their origin harder to identify. As AI-generated content becomes more realistic, the distinction between photography and digital creation grows increasingly uncertain.
The summer of 2025 marked a turning point when a Guess advertising campaign, published in the August issue of Vogue, featured a model entirely created by artificial intelligence. Designed by the creative studio Seraphinne Vallora, the campaign notably introduced an avatar named Vivienne, with striking realism.
Although the artificial origin of the image was mentioned, it remained discreet—almost imperceptible to the reader. The campaign quickly sparked numerous reactions. Within the industry, concerns grew: models, photographers, makeup artists, and stylists saw this initiative as a strong signal about the possible evolution of their professions, now confronted with lower-cost digital productions. Other criticisms focused on the beauty standards conveyed, perceived as even more artificial, unattainable, and stereotypical.
The creators of the project defended a complementary approach, presenting artificial intelligence as one creative tool among others, rather than a replacement for traditional photo shoots. Beyond the controversy, however, this episode reveals a deeper transformation in our relationship with images: the boundary between what truly exists and what is entirely fabricated is becoming increasingly difficult to discern.
The Unexpected Return of the Photographic Act
A surprising phenomenon has recently emerged: camera sales are rising again. Film photography continues its comeback, while compact digital cameras are experiencing an unexpected resurgence—so much so that some models have been out of stock in certain countries.
And above all, younger generations are showing interest. Why buy a camera today when smartphones and AI already produce excellent images?
The answer is simple. You don’t buy a camera to get an image. You buy it to experience the act of photography. To go out. To search. To observe. To frame. To wait. To press the shutter. It is an experience, a process, a form of presence. And that is something no artificial intelligence can generate.
The Photographer Augmented by Artificial Intelligence
While the debate focused on the supposed disappearance of photography, artificial intelligence evolved in a quieter yet more practical way. Today, it can sort thousands of images in minutes, suggest relevant selections, automate certain edits, write descriptions, organize galleries, and prepare content for different platforms.
These uses, still marginal a few years ago, are gradually becoming part of photographers’ workflows. They do not change the nature of the image itself, but they deeply transform how it is processed, distributed, and valued.
In other words, artificial intelligence does not replace the photographer. Rather, it acts as an assistant, capable of handling repetitive and time-consuming tasks surrounding photographic practice. Image sorting after a shoot, archive management, delivery preparation, and format adaptation for social media can all be significantly accelerated.
This time gain is not trivial. It allows photographers to refocus on the core of their work: their vision, their presence in the field, their understanding of a situation, and their relationship with the people they photograph. While machines optimize processes, humans retain what gives an image its uniqueness: intention, timing, and the ability to create meaning.
Making the Origin of Images Visible
AI-generated content raises a fundamental question: how can we continue to trust images in a world where their origin is sometimes difficult to establish? In response, a technological solution is beginning to emerge. Content Credentials allow images to include information about their origin, their author, and the different stages of their creation.
The goal is simple: to make clearer the distinction between an image captured by a photographer and content that is entirely generated. Some manufacturers, such as Leica, have already started integrating this type of system directly into their cameras. In this new environment, the photographer’s name, vision, and approach become increasingly important. An image is no longer judged solely by what it shows, but also by the story and conditions behind its creation.
Redefinition Rather Than Disappearance
With hindsight, the initial question ultimately deserves to be reframed. Artificial intelligence does not mark the end of photography. Rather, it forces us to redefine what makes an image truly meaningful. Some activities based on the rapid production of standardized visuals will continue to decline, while other practices—grounded in reality, human connection, and personal vision—will become even more valuable.
In a world where anyone can create an image in seconds, taking a photograph becomes a more intentional act. The photographer’s role is no longer just to produce an aesthetic image, but to tell a moment, document a reality, and create a connection between a person, a place, and a story.
Ethan Mollick, in his text Choosing to Stay Human, explains that as machines become capable of performing more tasks, the actions we choose to continue doing ourselves take on new meaning. Photographing, moving, observing, waiting for the right moment, and engaging with a subject thus become conscious choices.
Artificial intelligence can generate a visual. It cannot have lived the moment, met the person, or shared the experience behind the image. And it is precisely this human presence that may become, tomorrow, the greatest value of photography.
This reflection echoes the daily work of many field photographers who document real people, events, and stories. Photographic projects such as those presented by Shonan Focus illustrate this approach, grounded in encounter, reportage, and a connection to reality.