How much can you edit a photo before it stops becoming true? That’s the question CNET tech reporter Stephen Shankland recently asked in the opening lines of his story, How Close is that Photo to the Truth: What to Know in the Age of AI. 

The article examines digital photography and advanced smartphone image processing in the era of AI. It reaches beyond the polarizing visual minefield of generative AI by delving into aspects of this technology that’s been quietly pre-baked into most every camera on the market these days. 

The sophisticated processing under the hood of your digital camera is our jumping off point for a wide-ranging discussion with Shankland that touches on many aspects of the digital workflow, before scaling the slippery slopes of generative AI. 

A few of the many points we cover include: Comparing the three primary generative AI platforms and discussing their differences, an assessment of AI manipulations and deepfakes, the ways in which a proliferation of camera phones can serve as a buttress against fakery, and the social contract inherent in weighing the veracity of an image.

Today’s AI landscape seems to be morphing by the minute, a reality that’s reflected here with bonus content! Barely a week after our original discussion, Open AI’s new text-to-video application, Sora, was released to a tidal wave of interest, so we got Shankland back on mic. Stay to the end to hear our first impressions of this new technology and listen closely to discover how an AI bot got the last word in our chat.

Guest: Stephen Shankland

Above image: © Allan Weitz, https://www.allanweitzdesign.com

For more information on our guest and the gear he uses, see:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/photography-in-the-age-of-ai-with-stephen-shankland

Stay Connected:
Stephen Shankland’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stshank/
Stephen Shankland’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/stshank/
Stephen Shankland’s Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/people/Stephen-Shankland/
Stephen Shankland’s Flickr: 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shankrad/
Stephen Shankland’s MuckRack: 
https://muckrack.com/stshank
Stephen Shankland’s CNET profile:
https://www.cnet.com/profiles/shankland/
Stephen Shankland’s CNET article on AI: https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/features/how-close-is-that-photo-to-the-truth-what-to-know-in-the-age-of-ai/ 
Open AI’s Chat GPT: https://chat.openai.com/
Open AI’s Dall-E: https://openai.com/dall-e-2
Open AI’s Sora: https://openai.com/sora

The B&H Photography Podcast

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Photography in the Age of AI, with Stephen Shankland

The B&H Photography Podcast: Join us every other week for a conversation with insightful and entertaining guests. From gear and technique to history, science and art, we discuss the issues most important to the contemporary photographer.

New tracks tagged #sora,