Samsung executive creates controversy with his comments on AI photos

People have been talking a lot lately about how AI and fancy algorithms are changing the game when it comes to taking pics with our smartphones. It’s not exactly breaking news though – remember those debates over the moon pics taken with Huawei’s and Samsung’s phones? Well, now a big-shot Samsung exec is adding fuel to the fire by saying that in today’s world, there’s no such thing as a “real” picture anymore.

In an interview with TechRadar, Samsung’s EVP Patrick Chomet dropped a bombshell, saying there’s no such thing as a genuine picture anymore. He explained that all pictures are basically made up using sensors and fancy algorithms. Chomet even brought up a video by YouTuber Marques Brownlee about those moon shots taken with Samsung’s top-notch smartphones, questioning what people consider a “real” picture. Here’s what he had to say:

“There was a very nice video by Marques Brownlee last year on the moon picture. Everyone was like, ‘Is it fake? Is it not fake?’ There was a debate around what constitutes a real picture. And actually, there is no such thing as a real picture. As soon as you have sensors to capture something, you reproduce [what you’re seeing], and it doesn’t mean anything. There is no real picture. You can try to define a real picture by saying, ‘I took that picture,’ but if you used AI to optimize the zoom, the autofocus, and the scene – is it real? Or is it all filters? There is no real picture, full stop.”

Brands are tweaking little details too, like making the sky bluer or the grass greener, all to make the pics look super appealing. So, when they’ve gone to all that trouble, you gotta ask yourself: is that pic you’re seeing still a genuine representation of what was really happening in that moment?

According to Chomet, Samsung’s giving people what they crave: a means to capture real-life moments and a ticket to craft a whole new reality. They’re delivering the first with their top-notch smartphone cameras and diving into the second with a bunch of AI wizardry packed into the Galaxy S24 series. Chomet reckons AI needs some rules, and they’re all in for helping governments set them up. That’s why they’re slapping watermarks on any images that are AI-made or tampered with, making it crystal clear for users to spot the difference between the real deal and AI magic.