Girl at work on (telephone ?) cabling (date unknown)
Toronto. Some of us are bombarded by announcements about the marvellous results attained by artificial intelligence (AI).
Here at the PHSC we use some apps touted as AI, especially Topaz Photo AI (with each update this program has shown improvement). The image at left was sharpened using Focus Magic rather than the Topaz program and resized with Affinity Photo. Many digital images are slightly soft and benefit from a touch of sharpening.
Images, especially those from old journal issues are often enlarged, de-noised and sharpened before use. This often has a trade-off between the authenticity of the original image and clarity on the web.
We tend to avoid the nastier uses of AI (creating fake works of art for example). Any app that modifies an image etc seems to tout its AI aspect. The latest releases of various OS software, including macOS, have some AI elements embedded in them to offer ‘suggested wording’, etc.
But what about the effect it will have on photographic history? This aspect is the subject of a coming symposium announced by TMU’s (ex-Ryerson U) Image Centre:
“From March 31 to April 2, Encoding the Image: How does AI affect the Future of Photo History? will bring together historians, curators, and computer scientists to examine AI’s role in photography research and collection management. Organized by Dr. Thierry Gervais, the forum fosters dialogue among scholars and professionals. Registration is required—learn more about the sessions, speakers, and how to attend on our website.”
Although we look at historical photographic equipment, photographs, and history, not the future, this coming symposium will be of considerable interest!
