Photographer Disqualified from AI Contest After Revealing Real Photo

Miles Astray's entry, intended to challenge perceptions of AI-generated art, was removed after winning two awards in the AI category.

Miles Astray's photograph of a flamingo won third place and the People's Choice Award in the AI category of the 1839 Photography Awards.
Astray entered the real photo to highlight the ongoing debate about AI's impact on creativity and human-made content.
Upon discovering the photo was not AI-generated, the contest organizers disqualified Astray's entry to maintain fairness for other participants.
Astray's action follows a similar incident in 2023, where an AI-generated image won a major photography award but was later declined by the artist.
The incident underscores the challenges and ethical considerations in distinguishing between AI and human-created art.