The Synthetic Eye: Photography Transformed in the Age of AI/ Fred Ritchin

The Synthetic Eye explores how AI is radically reshaping the nature and meaning of photography. Ritchin argues that the traditional relationship between photographs, reality, and truth is under pressure: with synthetic imaging (i.e. AI-generated or AI-manipulated images) becoming more sophisticated, the boundary between “real” photographs and fabricated ones is increasingly blurred. He traces the historical trajectory of the photographic medium and juxtaposes it with contemporary AI-driven imagery to show how our sense of visual evidence, authenticity, and trust in images is being challenged. Ritchin does not dismiss the potential of these new modes of image-making; rather, he invites readers to consider how photography might adapt, evolve, or reclaim its ethical role in this new ecosystem.

English