PRESS RELEASE: Star Photographers Team Up With digiDirect To Judge Human V AI Image Competition
Five of Australia’s best-known photographers will judge image entries from photographers and artificial intelligence creators in digiDirect’s $1,000 Human V Machine contest starting 20th February 2023.
Sony Ambassador Mark Galer, Fujifilm Ambassador Russell Ord, Canon Ambassador James Simmons, Panasonic Ambassador Chris Bray and Nikon Ambassador Jasin Boland have accepted the challenge with the understanding they will have no knowledge whether the finalists have submitted a camera-shot photograph or an AI generated image. The winning image will be awarded a $1,000 gift card to shop at consumer electronics retailer, digiDirect.
digiDirect made news on 3rd February 2023, when news.com.au published an article titled ‘Man or Machine: Is this Australia’s most controversial photo’, which revealed that an image created by artificial intelligence had won the most recent edition of the company’s photo competition.
digiDirect reacted by accepting full responsibility, before announcing a new winner and new measures that will force future victors to submit the raw image of their edited photographs, which will reveal key metadata about the camera used to shoot their entries.
The company’s response to the controversy led to the announcement of the Human V Machine image contest, separate to their regular photo competition, to determine whether AI can beat a photo on “a level playing field”.
“As one of Australia’s leading independently owned consumer electronics retailers servicing the modern camera buyer, which includes photographers and videographers, as well as all sorts of content creators including gamers, streamers, vloggers, podcasters and others, we feel uniquely positioned to invite both photographers and artificial intelligence creators to settle the debate that was created by this controversy,” digiDirect General Manager, Haig Kayserian said.
“We are delighted to be partnering with some superstar photographers, who are brand ambassadors at Sony, Fujifilm, Canon, Panasonic and Nikon, who will judge the ultimate winner of the digiDirect Human V Machine Image Contest.”
Those wishing to enter the contest are asked to follow the instructions on the entry page (https://www.digidirect.com.au/manvsmachine) and submit their files between 20 February and 26 February 2023. The judging panel will deliberate over the subsequent week and a winner will be announced during the week beginning 6th March 2023.
Click here for bios on each of our star judging panel.
ABOUT digiDirect – where everything clicks.
digiDirect is one of Australia's largest retailers of consumer electronics. Having started as a retailer specialising in cameras and imaging, digiDirect's seven brick-and-mortar stores across the country maintain that speciality with expert staff and the widest range of products.
Their website, digidirect.com.au is one of the most popular online retail destinations in Australia, offering tens of thousands of products shipped to thousands of loyal customers from the company's state-of-the-art Sydney headquarters.
Founded by Managing Director Shant Kradjian in 2005, digiDirect employs over 130 staff across multiple states and enjoys important relationships with multinational supplier partners, payment, loyalty rewards, logistics and other service providers.
