In a world increasingly exposed to AI-generated images, the future of stock images can often be considered threatened. Or at least that many of you may think. With AI-generated images becoming more and more common-placed, is stock photography threatened? Will AI-generated images make stock photography sidelined?
I don’t think so.
When it comes to actual product images or images of events, AI is nowhere near the capabilities of a real Human capturing those images. An AI image-generating tool, at best, can only render images based on ‘educated guesses’ and what has been fed into the algorithm by its makers. It cannot depict the actual events nor give you a realistic view of those events.
A sports photographer shooting stock images on the sidelines of an Olympic event cannot be threatened by even the smartest AI image generator. Nor can an event photographer or a photojournalist shoot events.
Stock photography is based on authenticity. Despite the post-processing and the Photoshop tricks used, they’re based on an authentic representation of a product, Human, scene, or idea. An AI image-generating tool creates images based on an algorithm. So, even if it gets the basic idea right, it cannot produce an authentic original, realistic-looking image that a human can by using lighting, camera tools, and finally using their post-processing skills.
Of course, there are ethical considerations as well. Clients may prefer not to have AI generated version of a product photo or any photo that represents their brand. A Human Resource company will never accept images depicting the faces of people generated by an AI. It will be unethical and, at the same time, against the whole business model that’s geared toward people.
Another advantage of stock images shot by humans is that they’re easily customizable. A RAW image has much information that can be altered and tinkered with, which an AI-generated image does not have. With an AI image generator, you can create multiple versions of a concept, but manipulating one single version and changing things like white balance, noise, and exposure is often limited.
Of course, as time progresses, and AI becomes smarter and more technically proficient many of these currently accurate assumptions will change. With that will come the questions of copyright, copyright, and fair use, which must be revisited, and new regulations must be written for the industry to cope with the new challenges.