Is Photoshop AI?

[Darkelements69aud]

Looking for a discussion, please. 

I am digital photographer and use Lightroom and Photoshop to edit my images.  However, I am wondering if using Photoshop is considered AI?  I stack images; use 'liquify' and; remove objects, etc.  Recently I have been contemplating entering a photography contest; but, there is a requirment of  - NO AI.  So.. would using Photoshop be a disqualification? 

Thank you!  

[Derek Cross]

AI is a separate operation within Photoshop, so unless you employ the facility you're safe.

Presumably, you can clarify with the contest organisers how much and the kind of Photoshop editing that is allowed for contestants.

[Darkelements69aud]

Thank you for the information. I appreciate it! I also try to steer clear
of AI as an artist. Especially since it seems other artists - painters -
don’t consider photography, art.

Audrey B. Hamilton

[D Fosse]

Especially since it seems other artists - painters -don’t consider photography, art

By @Darkelements69aud

I have an art academy education as a painter - until I switched to photography. This was way back in the 1990s, and I can assure you, nobody looked down on photography 😉

In any case, regarding AI, given that the requirement is an authentic photograph, listen to your own common sense. You'll know when you're overstepping the line, when it's no longer an actual representation of the original scene. Obviously you have leeway to optimize the image, otherwise you wouldn't have an image at all. We used to do that in the darkroom too, we were only limited by what was possible.

Photoshop inserts Content Credentials metadata to all images where generative AI has been used. This metadata is encrypted and tamper proof. You can check this for yourself by enabling Content Credentials in PS preferences.

[Darkelements69aud]

Thank you! I really appreciate your input. It is good to get the
perspective of a painter and photographer. It was several years ago when
I was in a group of painters (I was the only photographer) and felt as if I
photography was really looked down upon. Well, moving on. Good point
about the meta data. Thanks! 😊

Audrey B. Hamilton

[Conrad_C]

There isn’t a single answer to the question, because it depends on which parts of Photoshop you use. Many Photoshop features have no AI because they been there since Photoshop 1.0 in 1990 when there was no AI in photo apps, but some newer features use some form of AI or machine learning, and some of the newest features use generative AI, which is the kind of AI that is the most controversial.

For some features it’s switchable; for example in the Crop tool, if it’s set to Transparent then it isn’t using AI, but it’s set to Generative Expand then it is using generative AI. So a quick way of avoiding generative AI is to not use any features with “generative” in the name. But that isn’t a perfect solution, because for example the Remove tool can use generative AI but it doesn’t have “generative” in its name. And across Photoshop in general, there is no easy way to know exactly which features use absolutely no AI (for example, there is no published list), and there is no way to switch off all AI at once.

[D Fosse]

there is no way to switch off all AI at once.

By @Conrad_C

What if you pull out the internet cable? All the generative components (anything Firefly-based) should stop working then.

There was a recent feature request for a way to disable AI. I upvoted that, and hope it sees the light of day. We really need a practical way to draw the line in the sand.

[Conrad_C]

What if you pull out the internet cable? All the generative components (anything Firefly-based) should stop working then..

By @D Fosse

That may be true, but it also isn’t a perfect solution for all AI. That’s because companies like Adobe and Apple also look for ways to do AI on device, where the AI doesn’t need to connect to the Internet. For example, in Photoshop, the Select Subject feature has the options “Device (Quicker Results)” and “Cloud (Detailed Results)”.

Companies have various reasons to support on-device AI, especially as neural processing units (NPUs) such as the Apple Neural Engine become standard equipment on more mobile and desktop devices. (An NPU of at least 40 TOPS is required for a Windows computer to qualify as a Microsoft Copilot+ PC.) On-device AI is better for consumer privacy and security, because your work doesn’t have to be uploaded through the Internet. And on-device AI is better for companies because it keeps the computing demand at the customer end, instead of increasing the load on the company’s server farms.

However, some kinds of AI involve models or computation that are so intensive that they can’t be handled by a common mobile or desktop device, and those remain server-based and can be disabled by cutting off the Internet connection…for those users where losing Internet access is not too high a price to pay, since too many jobs now require constant Internet access.

[D Fosse]

Ok, but I don't feel that AI in itself, in all cases, is the problem. It's just an algorithm like any other.

The problem is the generative component, where outside data, not in the image, are pulled in to construct entirely new elements where the user has no direct control or input. These new elements may resemble existing elements, but have an outside origin.

This is where I feel the ethical red line is fairly well defined.

And this is where Photoshop needs access to an external image bank, e.g. Adobe's servers.

[barbara_a]

As long as you don't use the Generative Fill command under the Edit menu, you should be fine.