Opinion | AI photo art raises question: What comes after ‘seeing is believing’?

The relationship between humans and photography, once viewed as a truthful certificate of reality, has fundamentally changed with the advent of AI.
AI has made it possible for anyone to effortlessly manipulate and invent history, leading to a new era of historical surrealism.
Social media acts as a perfect dissemination system for spreading untruths more rapidly than corrections.
The cultural shift towards individualized, algorithmic information feeds further contributes to the perception of a private version of reality.
There is a political backdrop where governments easily manipulate history, leading to epistemic collapse.
Unlike previous manipulation methods, AI can easily cross from manipulation to complete invention without requiring significant skill.
AI-generated images are challenging our understanding of truth by creating visual documentation that supports non-existent histories and conspiracy theories.
The photograph, no longer a reliable witness to reality, may need to redefine itself as an interpreter of meaning rather than a bearer of truth.
The author suggests we may return to an ancient condition of local and negotiated truth, emphasizing human factors like discernment, empathy, and shared experience over mechanical verification.