Sony World Photography Award 2023: Winner refuses award after revealing AI creation

German artist Boris Eldagsen submitted a photograph titled 'Pseudomania: The Electrician' as an entry to the Sony World Photography Award competition, winning the 'open creativity' category.

Following the results, announced last week, the artist revealed that the work he submitted had been artificially generated by an AI service, before thanking the judges for selecting his photograph and allowing him to make history. "Artificial intelligence and photography shouldn't be competing against each other in similar competitions [...]" said the winner, later rejecting the prize won.

Eldagsen's intent was to test the competition and the contest itself, thus creating a discussion about the future of photography within a landscape of such an environment.