AI and Audio-Visuals cont...

Given the various uses of AI given above, there is a question about when an image is seen as the author’s own work and when it is the result of using AI. At present PSNZ has stated that any images created completely or in part by a text-to-image generator are not allowed in its still image salons. It seems reasonable to accept that images created this way are seen as third party images for AV creation. This could be expanded to include video created using text-to-image generators.

There is also the question of how the use of AI in the AV will be policed. The quality of AIgenerated images is already so realistic that it is sometimes very difficult if not impossible for judges to differentiate between the work of the author and the AI created images, and this is only likely to become more difficult in the future. There are already photographic genres, e.g. nature and PJ, where the integrity of the author is relied on and this may be the way AVs could also go.

There are probably fewer concerns about the use of AI with other media used in AV creation. Music is an important media in many audiovisuals. AI-generated music is not protected by copyright, making it easier for AV makers to add music that suits the mood and pace of the AV. The quality of AI-generated voiceovers is now almost as good as hiring the professional voiceover artists that are commonly used for AVs. This is likely to improve still further in the future. There have never been any restrictions on the source of the script for an AV. Many AVs have been based on the “script” of a third-party poem or music lyrics.

A final comment. The AI-generated images used in this article have all been created using Midjourney. However there is a cost for the use of this software. If you would just like to try it, there are several free options, for example NightCafe. It is fun to start playing with but it may not be long before a photographer will want to move on to use more sophisticated software.

Thanks to Dale Murphy, Chairperson of the APS AV Council, for sharing his research into the use of AI Technology in audiovisuals.