Weird Press Photo

The First AI-Generated Exhibit

Preface by Jean Daubrillard

In a world where machines can now generate their own press photos, it's fitting that the first such exhibition should be titled "Weird Press Photo." It's an intriguing glimpse into a future in which AI is increasingly able to create its own visual representation of news events. And while the results are sometimes uncanny, they're also often eerily familiar, as if we've seen them before in some parallel universe.

There's something both fascinating and unsettling about these machine-generated images, which seem to capture the strange, dreamlike quality of the news itself. It's as if they've been conjured up by some eccentric artist, or perhaps by a team of algorithm-addicted madmen. But however they came into being, they offer a compelling vision of a future in which machines are increasingly able to create their own version of reality.

So take a look at the "Weird Press Photo" exhibition and see for yourself. It's a strange and fascinating world that machines are creating for us – one that we may find ourselves living in sooner than we think.

An incredible force for good

Preface by Sernie Banders

I'm honored to write a preface for the first press photography exhibition generated by AI, Weird Press Photo. This book showcases a new form of art made possible by machine learning algorithms, and it's just the beginning of what we can create with this technology.

As someone who has long been involved in advocating for social and economic justice, I believe that AI can be an incredible force for good in the world. When used properly, it can help us solve some of society's most pressing problems. For instance, AI can be used to provide healthcare services to underserved communities or develop more efficient ways to produce energy. Additionally, AI can help us combat climate change by developing better methods of monitoring and managing our environment.

However, we must also be aware of the potential dangers posed by artificial intelligence. If not carefully regulated, AI could lead to mass unemployment as machines increasingly replace human workers across all sectors of the economy. Additionally,AI could be used to unfairly manipulate public opinion or interfere in elections. We must stay vigilant and ensure that AI is always used responsibly and ethically."

An AI-Generated Exhibition

Preface by Zlavoj Sižek

There is something uncanny, even weird, about looking at a press photo that has been generated by AI. On the one hand, it is all too easy to imagine the soulless machine behind it, churning out images according to some pre-determined criteria. On the other hand, there is also something eerily lifelike about these photos, as if they were taken by an invisible photographer who somehow manages to be everywhere at once.

In any case, it is clear that AI is changing the face of photography as we know it. And while this change may initially seem like a purely technical matter, it actually has profound implications for our understanding of what photography is and can be.

For one thing, it is now possible to generate an infinite number of images without ever having to click a shutter. This means that the traditional role of the photographer as someone who captures a moment in time has been called into question. What is more, AI-generated images are often more realistic and lifelike than those taken by human photographers. This raises the prospect of a future in which photography ceases to be about capturing reality, and instead becomes about creating alternative realities that are just as convincing as our own.

Of course, all of this is still very much in its infancy. But even at this early stage, it is clear that AI is radically changing our understanding of what photography can be – and that can only be a good thing.

So let us embrace the weirdness of AI-generated press photos, and see where it takes us. Who knows, we may just end up discovering that there is more to life than what meets the eye.

How AI Sees the World Differently from Us

Preface by Huval Noah Yarari

It is a common saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. And yet, despite the ubiquity of visuals in our lives, we rarely stop to think about how pictures actually convey meaning. We take it for granted that when we look at a photograph, we immediately understand what it depicts and what message it conveys.

But this understanding is not as simple or straightforward as we might assume. In reality, interpretation requires the simultaneous activation of numerous mental processes, from pattern recognition to emotional response. It is only through the complex interplay of all these processes that we are able to make sense of an image.

Nowadays, artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are getting increasingly good at interpretting images - often better than humans themselves. The first press photography exhibition generated by AI was recently held in London under the title "Weird Press Photo". Featuring 100 photographs selected by an algorithm from over 10 million images submitted to news outlets around the world, the exhibition provides us with a fascinating glimpse into how machines see the world differently from us humans.

Some of the photographs in the exhibition are indeed quite "weird", as the title suggests. But what is even more interesting is how these images challenge our assumptions about what a photograph can be and what it can mean. AI algorithms don't just see pictures, they also read them - and often with greater accuracy than we do. As AI continues to evolve, we may find ourselves having to reassess not only our understanding of visuals but also of reality itself.

-- Huval Noah Yarari

We need to be skeptical of everything we see

Preface by Ben Shipora

In the age of clickbait and fake news, it's more important than ever to be able to tell a real story from a fabricated one. And yet, as we become increasingly reliant on technology, it's becoming harder and harder to know what's real and what isn't.

Enter Weird Press Photo, the first press photography exhibition generated by AI. The exhibit uses machine learning algorithms to create composite images that are bizarre, uncanny, and often humorous.

While some may see this as just another example of how technology is eroding our ability to discern fact from fiction, I believe it highlights an important truth: we need to be skeptical of everything we see, whether it comes from a human or a machine. Only then can we hope to find the stories that are truly worth telling.

--From the Preface to "Weird Press Photo" by Ben Shipora