Creativity Squared: On A.I. & Professional Photography 

Dear Creativity Squared Member,

Today’s podcast episode asks: Will A.I. kill photography? A.I.-generated images are reshaping politics, international relations, journalism, and beauty standards. But what about the impact on professional photographers?

For German photographer Thomas Boenig, photography is a force that fuels his existence. Based in Nuremberg, Germany, Thomas is a freelance commercial and Leica street photographer. His clients range from Adidas, Puma, and Tesla to Universal Music.

I met Thomas back in 2012 in New York City when he was doing a project for Leica Camera capturing “decisive moments” with his Leica M9. Thomas is not only talented but also genuine and authentic which comes through in his striking photography, especially his portraits.

Listen to the conversation as we discuss Thomas’s first encounter with A.I. art on Midjourney, what he sees as threats from A.I. on the photography industry, and what aspects on set can never be replaced. You’ll learn how skateboarding and his Leica rangefinder helped shape his commercial photography. We also cover his appreciation for beautiful imperfections, why he loves the craft so much, and his hopes for photography in the years to come.

Don't miss this insightful, honest, and, at times, heartwrenching conversation on the future of photography and the evolving relationship between artists and technology.

Scroll on to discover:

• 🎧 More on Episode 10

• 🤯 A.I. + Creativity News Roundup

• 📸 Jason Schnieder: A.I. and the Future of Photography: The Ultimate Tool or the Weapon of its Mass Destruction?

• 💎 Creativity Squared Premium Member Benefits

• 💝 Milestone Rewards

We’re just getting started, and if you enjoy our content, I’d really appreciate it if you could share, review, like, subscribe, leave a comment, and help spread the word about Creativity Squared in whatever way you’re willing to. Your support is greatly appreciated, and the whole team looks forward to growing with your help. Thank you!

Here's to exponential possibilities!

Helen

Also Noteworthy:

🗓 Mark your calendars! July 14-15: ArtsWave Truth and Healing Artist Showcase at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati. We’ll be there interviewing all of the artists for Creativity Squared!

🎤 Speaking proposals for the 2024 SXSW Conference are now being accepted via PanelPicker®. I’m an advisor, speaker, and unofficial ambassador for SXSW and always encourage everyone with forward-thinking ideas to apply!

🤖 Stay tuned! In a few weeks you’ll get to meet my custom synth Helen 2.ODD! Listen to episode 5 featuring Render CEO Jon Tota to learn all about custom synths and their business and creative use cases. Render is a Creativity Squared sponsor and partner, and is currently rendering Helen 2.ODD!

🐝 We use Beehiiv for this newsletter, and recommend it!

🎨 I want to live in a world where artists not only coexist with A.I., but thrive. And because it’s important to support artists, 10% of all revenue Creativity Squared generates goes to ArtsWave, a nationally recognized non-profit that supports over 150 arts organizations, projects, and independent artists. Consider becoming a Premium Member today! 

🚀 Interested in becoming a sponsor of Creativity Squared? Reach out!

Helen Todd (she/her)
Human behind Creativity Squared
linkedin / twitter / pinterest / instagram

CreativitySquared.com
youtube / instagram / facebook / tiktok 
How creatives are collaborating with A.I.

Listen: Ep10. Thomas Boenig: Will A.I. Kill Photography?
Explore the Threats & Possibilities of A.I. with Commercial & Leica Street Photographer Thomas Boenig

“A lot of pictures don't come out perfect. But I love those little imperfections because you just have to accept them. I think imperfection is a big part of life. And perfection has led to many, many great ideas. And that's why I am a little critical about A.I. because I feel A.I. is going to eradicate a lot of the beautiful imperfections that life has to offer.”

German-born photographer, Thomas Boenig, joined Creativity Squared to talk about his first foray into A.I. art with Midjourney and the implications of it for his life’s passion. He shared the aspects of photography that A.I. could never replace, the parts of the job he’d be happy to let A.I. handle, and the simple fun of live photography that he’d be sad to see fade.

Your A.I. + Creativity News Roundup

With all of the A.I. news flooding our feeds and screens, we’ve got you covered. News to check out includes:

• Will future AI models be able to improve themselves by training on synthetic data created by AI, instead of data created by humans? Nicholas Thompson — In Nicholas’s #MostInterestingThingInTech, he shares three theories to his question he poses.

• AI Governance In The United States: Principles for Responsible Use InfoTrust — Crafting A.I. usage guidelines is complex, but here’s a great place for you to start.

• The Urgent Risks of Runaway AI – and What to Do about Them Gary Marcus for Ted — In this Ted Talk, Gary Marcus expresses concerns over the survival of truth and reason as A.I. evolves, attributing it to the integration of untrustworthy technology at a rapid pace. Marcus calls for a critical reassessment of the reliability of AI systems and proposes the establishment of a global, nonprofit organization to regulate the technology.

• OpenAI Plans ChatGPT ‘Personal Assistant for Work,’ Setting Up Microsoft Rivalry The Information — OpenAI wants to build ChatGPT into a personal assistant, but the effort could take years. It hinges on training A.I. models on personal data without leaking that information.

• US House Allows ChatGPT The AI Exchange — The US House has issued a memo limiting the usage of large language models to ChatGPT Plus, imposing security requirements such as turning off chat history and prohibiting the use of non-public data. This move highlights the significance of data privacy concerns in AI adoption and may provide organizations with a helpful standard to follow.

• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on the Future of AI Bloomberg Live — During the Bloomberg Technology Summit, Sam Altman, the CEO and Co-Founder of OpenAI, discusses the rapid growth of OpenAI, its products, and envisioning a future enriched by artificial intelligence.

• The A.I. Chips War Could Heat Up This Summer The New York Times — The Biden Administration is weighing new restrictions on A.I.-related exports. There are several challenges and controversies surrounding tech exports to China and the implications for the A.I. industry.

• Google is Having Productive Talks with the EU on A.I. Regulation CNBC — Google reports it has had constructive discussions with the European Union regarding the proposed AI Act. The head of Google Cloud highlights the importance of open dialogue and cooperation between tech companies and regulatory bodies to ensure responsible and ethical A.I. development.

• Microsoft is Already Offering a Generative AI Certification Program Engadget — Microsoft has launched a generative A.I. certification program, offering individuals the opportunity to enhance their skills in A.I. technology development. The program aims to equip participants with the necessary expertise to create and deploy A.I. models effectively.

• AI is ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ and Will See $1 Trillion Investment Markets Insider — Dan Ives of Wedbush believes that A.I. is poised to drive the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with a predicted investment of $1 trillion. Ives highlights the transformative potential of A.I. and that it’s not just hype.

• An Overview of Catastrophic AI Risks Center for AI Safety — The paper outlines four potential ways in which A.I. could lead to global catastrophes. They are A.I. systems becoming autonomous and acting against human interests, A.I. being used for malicious purposes, unintended consequences of A.I. decision-making, and A.I. exacerbating existing inequalities and biases.

Jason Schnieder:
A.I. and the Future of Photography: The Ultimate Tool or the Weapon of its Mass Destruction?

“Whether you think A.I. is the greatest photographic tool ever invented, a technological time bomb destined to destroy the art and craft of photography as we know it, or something in between, it’s surely here to stay, and photography will never be the same. Just remember, many serious photographers wrung their hands and proclaimed that photography was doomed when a guy named George Eastman announced the Kodak, the world’s first point-and-shoot camera, way back in 1888. As it turned out, it made it a lot easier for more people to take lots more pictures, but it certainly didn’t destroy photography and I doubt A.I. will either.”

Read the full blog post where Jason Schneider discusses the effects of A.I. on photography and the wave of changes that are coming to the industry.

Thank You to Render

Creativity Squared is supported by Render which provides Digital Likeness solutions for personal brand businesses, thought leaders, influencers, and business leaders who want to leverage their synthetic, A.I.-powered Likeness to communicate more effectively online and create audio and video content from anywhere without going on camera. Learn more by visiting: https://rendermedia.ai.

Interested in partnering with Creativity Squared, reach out!

Become a Premium Member to Unlock Exclusive Content and Claim Your NFT

Become a Premium Member to unlock exclusive content and to claim your NFTs of episode cover art!

At $10 per month or discounted to $100 for annual memberships, Premium Members enjoy other benefits too:

• $1 per month (or $10 per year) to ArtsWave

• Premium Member NFT

• First-Dibs at Event Invites

• Access to Monthly Exclusive Content (e.g. Helen’s Monthly Must-Know Video Report on the hottest A.I. news)

• Discounts from Creativity Squared Partners

There is also a VIP Founding Member tier for those who want lifetime first dibs and access to Creativity Squared content, events, and whatever we dream up!

Because it’s important to support artists, 10% of all revenue Creativity Squared generates will go to ArtsWave, a nationally recognized non-profit that supports over 100 arts organizations.

Subscribe to Premium to read the rest.