Image by the RSPCA
After my last post, three or so weeks ago, talking about the increasingly blurring lines between what we regard as real or AI fake photographs, another image made an appearance in the news that was questioned over its authenticity. The above image of these beautiful dogs is, sadly, real.
It was taken by an RSPCA officer, during a dog rescue of 250 poodle-cross dogs crammed in a living room. The image does have a good ending as most of the dogs have been rehomed, with a few with the Dog's Trust needing some extra looking after, but the image initially did come under scrutiny.
I can slightly understand why it was doubted. It's not often that you'd get that many dogs in one photograph! A few years ago, though, there would have been no question of whether it was real or not. Maybe the way we can easily create and view AI generated images is starting to have a bigger influence on the way we see all images.
So a sad and very real photo but a good outcome for the dogs. The only slightly worrying thing is that we may be heading in the direction where every photograph is judged fake until proved otherwise.
It was taken by an RSPCA officer, during a dog rescue of 250 poodle-cross dogs crammed in a living room. The image does have a good ending as most of the dogs have been rehomed, with a few with the Dog's Trust needing some extra looking after, but the image initially did come under scrutiny.
I can slightly understand why it was doubted. It's not often that you'd get that many dogs in one photograph! A few years ago, though, there would have been no question of whether it was real or not. Maybe the way we can easily create and view AI generated images is starting to have a bigger influence on the way we see all images.
So a sad and very real photo but a good outcome for the dogs. The only slightly worrying thing is that we may be heading in the direction where every photograph is judged fake until proved otherwise.
