An AI company that wants to...limit AI? This brand is finally speaking up in the silence, saying that AI can't replace photographers

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Aftershoot has stated that “the camera will always need you,” promising its software will never replace photographers

A graphic with the words "Not your competition. Jut your assistant".
(Image credit: Aftershoot)

Aftershoot has pledged that its software will remain an “assistant” to photographers rather than a “replacement,” responding to what it has described as growing fears that AI could eventually overtake the industry.

In a newly published webpage, the company behind the AI-assisted image culling tool of the same name has emphasized that “the camera will always need you” and reinforced this stance with a three-point commitment to photographers.

Aftershoot's three commitments to photographers (Image credit: Aftershoot)

Aftershoot has promised that its software will never introduce features that take over creative control, that users will always have the option to opt out of sharing data for AI training, and that decisions about the platform will remain community-driven.

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This announcement comes just a few months after backlash against Evoto — the company behind AI-powered desktop editing tools Evoto AI and Evoto Video — which recently piloted an AI headshot generator capable of creating images without the need for a photographer.

In an accompanying press release, Aftershoot said the biggest concern within the photography industry today is AI replacing photographers. It added that while many AI companies developing tools for photographers have largely avoided addressing these fears while benefiting from the AI boom, Aftershoot is choosing to “break the silence.”

Justin Benson, co-founder of Aftershoot (Image credit: Aftershoot)

Co-founder Justin Benson addressed this directly in the press release: “I got into photography because I love it. Then I joined to build Aftershoot because post-processing was eating the time I had to actually shoot. And that's still why we're here. Not to replace what you do.”

According to Aftershoot, nearly 250,000 photographers use its software to streamline post-processing. The company’s commitment to protecting photographers’ jobs will surely strengthen its relationship with users and may set a precedent for how developers of AI tools work with the photography community going forward.

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Read the full Aftershoot review. Or, read about the best photo culling apps.

Alan Palazon
Alan Palazon
Staff Writer

I’m a writer, journalist and photographer who joined Digital Camera World in 2026. I started out in editorial in 2021 and my words have spanned sustainability, careers advice, travel and tourism, and photography – the latter two being my passions.

I first picked up a camera in my early twenties having had an interest in photography from a young age. Since then, I’ve worked on a freelance basis, mostly internationally in the travel and tourism sector. You’ll usually find me out on a hike shooting landscapes and adventure shots in my free time.

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