They range from “the camera never lies, unless it is powered by artificial intelligence”, which for the first time calls into question the technological unconscious, to the evocation of the Apocalypse, passing through the Fauxtographytranslation of the least cacophonous Fautographyneologism of yesteryear attributed to Man Ray. These are the alarmed headlines of the major “allovertheworld” magazines to announce the arrival of AI on the smartphone, which thus becomes a forger within everyone’s reach, as was the case with the original digital, which nullified the semiotic construction of the photo as a cast, as an imprint of reality.
Technically these are software based on the technology of machine learningstuff that has already been known for a few years, but the “Pixel 8” represents a turning point, considering that it is the first smartphone to integrate generative artificial intelligence directly into the photo creation process without additional costs, which will have enormous consequences.
An article by The Verge claims that the program Best Take – which examines all similar photos taken in succession, making it possible to choose the final photo in which you have the desired facial expression -, will be a useful function especially for parents, whose little ones are notoriously difficult to pose, but this very eventuality inspires other reflections. regardless of the fake for propaganda purposes, disinformation etc. etc., it is precisely the vernacular photography, that of all of us, the self-portrait of society that is worrying: what historical-sociological value could these family memories have for those who in the future intend to study the eras pass, starting with this one?
They will base their analyzes and subsequent theorizations on falsehoods; I agree that since before Bourdieu family albums are docufictions in the name of a happy life without a hitch, long before the sequins of Instagram, but at least somewhere there was a box or briefcase with scraps of truth. But tomorrow, in which market will we find family photos used as woodoo with relatives cut off, erased from our lives? We are now this far from the grafted memories of Blade Runner.
Attilio Lauria
Read also…
The post first appeared on icalabresi.it