The use of AI in creative industries brings up big and often heated conversations, centred largely around the use of artificial intelligence to generate imagery, sound, video and text instantaneously. This raises questions about what counts as "creative work," and what this means for artists working across these fields.
Whether you love it or loathe it, AI is quickly becoming unavoidable in all of our lives. It’s integrated into the platforms and tools that many creatives use, and shapes the way that new technology is developed.
So what does this mean for creativity? For the role of the artist? And specifically, for the future of photography?
We spoke to some of our Photography faculty to see where they think the industry is headed in the age of artificial intelligence.
This is the biggest question that comes up when discussing the role of AI in any creative industry, and might cause some worry in creatives questioning their futures. If anyone can generate an image whenever they want, will the world still need photographers?
“It is important to recognise that image creation with AI is not photography,” says Photography Program Leader Rikki Bunder. “It may sometimes look photorealistic, like a painting or illustration might, but it is not photography.”
Because photography is more than the image created. It’s the entire creative process, from ideation and concept development through to feedback and refinement. It’s a medium used to tell stories and create meaning, and is defined by the effort, vision and experiences of the human beings that share those stories.
“You could write a prompt and ask for a salt lake image at sunset, or you could drive hundreds of kilometres, camp for a few days, get up in the middle of the night, breathe the air, experience the heat, the cool breeze, find the perfect place and capture something that embodies your experience. Now compare those two. Prompted image making is not photography, because photography is a process.”
“Imagine how a portrait photographer would respond to the same question. Imagine taking a portrait of someone, interacting with them, getting to know them and telling their story. Now compare that to writing a prompt. There is no comparison.”
Photography Program Coordinator Christina Simons is an internationally-acclaimed documentary photographer, who reflects heavily on the relationship between photography, AI and truth.
“AI images might look ‘real’, but they’re disconnected from human presence,” she says. “Truth in photography comes not only from being there, but from the relationships and responsibilities that come with it. And that’s something AI will never be able to replicate.”
She explains that photography is not just about capturing moments, but actually experiencing them. It’s about being present and connecting with the people, places and events being photographed; having conversations, creating trust, and presenting truth.
“AI images don’t carry the weight of lived experience, the empathy forged through encounters, or the accountability that comes with representing someone else’s reality. For audiences, that distinction matters. To understand the world, people need to see what actually happened, as witnessed and experienced by another human being.”
When people hear ‘AI’, most will immediately think of generative AI: computers creating photorealistic images, video and text in seconds. This kind of technology dominates a lot of conversation within the industry as questions of ethics, creativity, and the value of human effort are debated.
But there are many other AI-driven tools that some photographers are integrating into their creative process.
Editing tools, for example, are being increasingly integrated with AI technology. Programs like Photoshop regularly add new AI tools to their software that speed up and streamline the editing process.
Then there’s the business side of photography—the endless scheduling, planning, and back-and-forth communication. AI-powered productivity tools are becoming the quiet game-changers here, helping photographers stay organised and freeing up more time for the creative work that matters most.
As Rikki puts it: “Anything that can help us create and maintain a spreadsheet will always be welcome.”
While AI tools can streamline editing and productivity, they also raise bigger questions about their long-term impact on photographers and the industry. The benefits, including speed, organisation, efficiency, are clear. But where’s the line between using technology to enhance creative work and letting it replace parts of the process altogether?
Rikki mentions his own worries that reliance on AI tools for things like communication with clients and other creatives could lead to a loss in personal and professional skills. That there may be a slippery slope from getting help writing emails to losing our written communication skills over time through lack of practice.
There are also risks for the industry as a whole as AI technology advances. Trust in the photographic image has always been fragile, from the earliest manipulations to Photoshop’s rise. With the widespread accessibility of AI image generators, the question of authenticity becomes more pressing than ever.
Then there’s the fear of lost opportunities. If anyone can create photorealistic images, demand and work for photographers could decline, especially in advertising. But Rikki points out that the photography industry is large and diverse, and there will always be a need for skilled, creative photographers.
AI technology will only continue to advance, becoming more and more integrated with both our personal and professional lives. So what does that mean for the photography industry?
There’s no way to predict where we’re headed, but Rikki shares some of his thoughts on how creativity and AI might coexist moving forward:
“Photography has always had its challenges, from the introduction of digital to the influx of social media and smartphones. And we are still here, telling stories and inspiring people.”
Christina explains her thoughts as well:
“As a photojournalist, I’ve been reflecting on what artificial intelligence means for photography, especially when it comes to truth. AI can illustrate ideas in clever and sometimes convincing ways, but that’s where it stops.”
“The foundation of photojournalism and documentary photography is not just witnessing, but connecting. Being present on the ground allows us to see and experience events, but also to engage with the people whose lives we are documenting. Those interactions, such as a conversation, a shared silence, a moment of trust, are part of the truth-telling. They shape not only the image, but the story behind it.”
The industry will always be influenced by what audiences want to see. As long as there is a desire for art, storytelling and truth, there will be a need for photographers.
Rikki: “AI is incredible, amazing and scary, and has the possibility to fundamentally change the human race. But a significant percentage of humans have the urge to create, and that is not going to stop anytime soon.”
Feel that urge to create?
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