In recent discussions surrounding AI imaging, the prevailing discourse often highlights the technology’s inherent risks. However, notable examples, such as the use of so-called deepfake technology in the documentary “Welcome to Chechnya” and the controversial yet well-intentioned AI-generated images from Amnesty International commemorating the victims of police brutality in Colombia, reveal the potential for socially responsible and ethical applications of this technology. This presentation explores the question: What is necessary to cultivate a socially responsible use of AI-generated imaging?

This inquiry is complex and lacks straightforward answers. The presentation will outline responsible practices in AI imaging by examining both problematic and potentially beneficial applications. Among the challenges we face is the intricate relationship between photography and photorealistic AI imaging. Addressing problematic perceptions of photography will be essential for developing a more robust analytical framework regarding AI imaging. This presentation will highlight key strategies for enhancing societal competence in navigating this evolving landscape.

The goal is to create a comprehensive framework for responsible AI imaging that benefits the academic community, practitioners, and developers in various fields. This framework will be particularly valuable for journalists and editors covering conflict and humanitarian issues and policymakers overseeing digital literacy and governance in increasingly digital economies. This paper aims to contribute to informed practices and strengthen ethical considerations in visual representation by promoting a critical understanding of responsible AI imaging.

Liv Hausken is a Professor at the Department of Media and Communication at the University of Oslo (UiO). Her research, teaching, and supervision areas include photography, AI imagery, scientific imaging, biometrics, surveillance, and aesthetics. She is part of the research project “PHOTOFAKE – Visual Disinformation, the Digital Economy and the Epistemology of the Camera Image” and the Humanities-based AI hub “HumAIn” at UiO, the “AI Media” Research Network at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and the Scandinavian AI network “AIsthesis: network for research on the aesthetics of AI imagery” at Aarhus University. Relevant publications include “Photorealism versus photography: AI-generated depiction in the age of visual disinformation” (Journal of Aesthetics & Culture, 2024) and “Untangling Photographic Manipulation: Exploring a Dual Concept and Its Societal Implications” (Journalism and Media, 2024).