25/09/2025
"In a mad world, only the mad are sane"
While photographers grapple with AI's impact on their profession, perhaps we're overlooking its potential as a shield rather than a threat. I captured a disturbing scene a few years back: students mocking and photographing a distressed individual in a dress who appeared to be experiencing mental health struggles.
The bitter irony wasn't lost on me—these supposedly educated young people displaying a complete absence of empathy or understanding.
I knew this moment deserved documentation. It revealed something ugly about our society, about how we treat the vulnerable, about the callousness that can hide behind privilege and education. But I also knew I couldn't share those images if they risked exposing the victim's identity and compounding their humiliation.
This is where AI transforms from perceived enemy to unexpected ally. Rather than replacing photographers, it can serve as a digital veil—allowing us to preserve the essential truth of a moment while protecting those who never consented to become subjects of public scrutiny. The story remains intact, the social critique survives, but human dignity stays protected.
Perhaps that's AI's most valuable contribution to photography: not just enhancing our technical capabilities, but expanding our ethical ones.
