05/18/2026
I had AI cull one gallery a few years ago, and I was immediately unsold on the entire process.
I haven’t been able to put into words until recently why I dislike AI in the art world so much. In my opinion, AI is used to make things more efficient. And I understand that in certain spaces, AI can be an incredible tool. I’m not going to get into the awful environmental impact AI as a whole is having, especially because Aftershoot and systems like theirs run only on your computer and their impact is different (thankfully way better!) than ChatGPT and the other systems that are quite literally taking people’s drinking water, especially is rural regions prone to droughts.
I digress… 😅
But with art, I think efficiency is the absolute worst priority to have. Of course, we want certain parts of our business to be efficient. But when it comes to the physical artwork itself, efficiency should not be the goal. Especially when you’re working with humans, and real life moments. Beauty, creativity, depth, appreciation for life, emotion, authenticity… that is the goal.
And if you are stepping into the art world, whether photography or another medium, with the goal of being as efficient as possible with your art, you’re going to miss the heart of it. Passion and purpose get lost in the process when efficiency becomes the priority.
So when you consider using AI to pick your art, to choose which images matter, I challenge you to go back and look at your favorite photos you’ve ever taken. Look at the ones your clients share online. The ones they print. The ones their parents and grandparents print. Then, ask yourself… would you risk those images not making it into the gallery because a robot decided they were not “quality” enough, all in the name of efficiency?
