I think every photo contest should have an AI prize, for one simple reason

Look, I get it. You're probably rolling your eyes at this headline, muttering something about "another AI booster" ruining the discipline. Well trust me, I'm not. I'm just as horrified by the idea of machines destroying the art of real photography as anyone else.

But here's the truth: AI isn't going away. And pretending we can keep it out of photo contests is like trying to hold back the ocean with a beach umbrella.

It's already been two years since Boris Eldagsen's AI-generated image won the Sony World Photography Awards, and when a Sydney-based AI studio hoodwinked judges with a dreamy drone shot of surfers, entirely fabricated by Midjourney. Many people lost their mind over these wins. But while we were all busy demanding stricter rules, we were missed the bigger picture, so to speak.

These AI images didn't win because the judges were incompetent. They won because they were genuinely good enough to fool people who spend their lives evaluating photographs.

Whole new ballgame

And here's the clincher. The tech that created those award-winning fakes is already ancient history in AI terms. The best AI image generators are now so clever, even the telltale signs we used to rely on (weird hands, wonky reflections, odd lighting) are rapidly disappearing.

And while contest organizers are scrambling for solutions such as requiring RAW files or metadata verification, AI is already learning to convincingly fake metadata. We're basically playing whack-a-mole with an opponent carrying infinite hammers and who keeps growing new heads.

Every time an AI image slips through and wins a traditional category, it doesn't just embarrass that contest – it damages the credibility of all competitions, not to mention the discipline as a whole. We're now viewing "perfect" images with suspicious eyes, wondering if that stunning landscape or incredible portrait is real or not.

This paranoia is justified, but it's also poisonous. When we can't trust what we're seeing, we stop trusting each other. We're witnessing the slow-mo destruction of photography contests' cultural relevance, one fooled judging panel at a time.

Losing battle

I reckon, instead of fighting this losing battle, let's get ahead of it. Every contest should immediately create a dedicated AI category, with its own prizes and its own judging criteria.

That would remove the incentive for people to sneak AI images into traditional categories (Why cheat when you can compete fairly?). At the same time, it would help rebuild trust in traditional categories. When there's a clear, legal path for AI, it's much easier to enforce strict "humans only" rules elsewhere.

In short, this isn't about legitimizing AI art at the expense of photography. It's about creating clear boundaries that benefit everyone. And of course, it's not a silver bullet. But at least it'd be a start.