Although artificial intelligence may still have the ring of science fiction, it’s increasingly becoming part of our everyday lives—and part of doing business as a photographer. Thanks to recent advancements in machine learning, like smart color and exposure correction, AI is altering the craft of photo editing and lowering barriers in the process.
But is it a valuable tool, or just a passing fad? With new technologies emerging or becoming obsolete every day, it can be hard to stay on top of which ones are worth investing in. In this blog post, we’ll explore the current and future uses of artificial intelligence in photo editing.
Why Use Artificial Intelligence to Edit Photos?
Photo editing is by no means a simple process. A single image might require many different techniques to retouch and take hours to finish, depending on the desired results. But AI represents a new realm of possibility for photo editors because it can automate many of the tedious tasks that eat up an editor’s time, making repetitive and manually intensive work far easier.
And what if you’re not a professional editor? Previously, you might be stuck shelling out for expensive editing services or struggling for hours to do it yourself. But artificial intelligence offers you the opportunity to bypass complicated editing processes entirely and is often much cheaper than hired help.
Here are some of the specific ways AI can benefit photo editors:
1. Automatically select the perfect images
One of the core rules of photography is to take many more pictures than you need, assuming that only a few pictures will turn out just right. But identifying that perfect shot out of a thousand is a lot of work. And your eyes might be too tired to recognize the best image when you see it! Modern AI can help sort through your photos for you, automatically eliminating unsuitable photos and highlighting the best pictures.
2. Upscale low-resolution images
Do you have a photo you love that doesn’t quite meet the bar for a professional photo? Don’t despair—AI tools can upscale low-resolution images, helping transform subpar shots into market-ready images.
3. Automatically replace backgrounds
In the past, background replacement was time-consuming and required a skilled approach. However, with AI tools, you can isolate your subjects and replace backgrounds in a matter of seconds, no editing skills are required. If you’re in the business of e-commerce, this means you can customize your photos for different retailers or promotions with ease.
4. Correct color and exposure in one click
AI photo editing tools are programmed to adjust colors, contrast, and exposure automatically, creating balanced and attractive images while eliminating errors. This is a great resource to have if you’re not a trained editor but want to make sure your photos look professional.
The Future of Artificial Intelligence in the Photo Editing Industry
There have undoubtedly been vast improvements in the AI photo editing industry within the last few years. Nowadays, editors can select from a variety of tools to enhance their product photos, magazine covers, nature images, abstract works, and more. In the future, we will likely see the development of specialized software to address different areas of photography with AI. Today, we are seeing fascinating emerging applications for AI in motion graphics and photo illustration.
As editing services become increasingly automated, we can expect the caliber of post-production to improve without an increase in editing costs, making it far more accessible to produce stunning photos than it is today. This should be especially exciting news for marketers and business owners.
The evolution of AI-powered tools will change the way we perceive photography. The technology’s potential could level the playing field between professionals and amateurs. The power of automated tools will also allow for greater creativity: AI can generate an endless number of variations and tweaks with very little work from the editor’s side. This, in turn, can help marketers create and test a wide variety of images to see which of them are most attractive to consumers.
What Does AI Photo Editing Mean for Marketers?
There are valid concerns about the rise of artificial intelligence in photography. The proliferation of AI may decrease the credibility of the images we see since it will become almost effortless for scammers to manipulate photos. Anyone can open an online store and sell products with manipulated photos, misleading consumers and damaging our trust in online sales.
However, on the bright side, industry experts are now investing in tools to defend against image manipulation. AI experts are focusing on developing quicker and easier ways to prove the authenticity of images. With the power of AI, people will be able to determine whether an image has been doctored in seconds. AI may lower the bar for technical skills and make it easier to create fakes, but it will also allow us to better detect those same manipulated images. Perhaps social media and marketing sites will eventually issue warnings like: The pictures you are looking at might be fake.
Bottom Line
Our personal take is that AI will prove to be a great asset for marketers and business owners. Even taking into account the concerns above, AI is a valuable tool for honest retailers that can help them reach new creative heights with time-saving and cost-efficient approaches. We believe AI can likewise empower editors to automate repetitive tasks and expand their creative horizons. It’s hard to say exactly what artificial intelligence holds for the photography industry, as new innovations and challenges are emerging every day, but we believe everyone has reasons to be very excited about the future of AI.