BILLINGS — As artificial intelligence, or AI, continues to advance, the impact on creative industries like photography is becoming more pronounced.
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AI-generated images are becoming more realistic and accessible, allowing anyone with the right software to create professional-looking photos in a matter of minutes, but for photographers like Steve Leitner, this new technology presents a growing challenge.
Leitner shares his passion for capturing the beauty of Montana through his camera lens. He is a photographer based outside of Hogeland, Mont. near the Canadian border, and specializes in Montana landscapes and older buildings.
"I like the history of the buildings and the people that were here before us," said Leitner. “I take my camera everywhere I go and if I happen to see something out the window, I grab it and run.”
He sells his photographs online and posts them on his Facebook page, Montana East of the Divide, where he has nearly 24,000 followers. Each month, he makes roughly $170 from his social media.
“I post at least twice a day and have every day for three years," said Leitner. "It's not a whole lot of money. It certainly doesn't cover my expenses or time involved, but it pays a little bit."
In recent months, Leitner has noticed a shift in some of the other photography content he sees on the platform. As AI-generated images flood social media, it has become harder for him to distinguish his authentic work from computer-generated photos, which many have mistaken for real images. However, it has also increased skepticism about what images are actually real.
"The images that are presentable and look like a photo have really only been possible for maybe two years, and it's come a long ways just in that time," said Leitner. "Before that, it was always, 'Well, you photoshopped this, or did you change this or whatever?' And it has always been a struggle with photographers.”
The surge in AI-generated images, particularly on platforms like Facebook, has been a growing concern for many photographers and artists. While AI tools like Google Gemini and others allow users to generate realistic images in just a few clicks, it also means that anyone can do so and pass them off as original photographs.
MTN found multiple AI-generated images that were posted to represent real photographs flooding several Montana-themed Facebook groups, like Living in Montana, I Love Montana, and Pictures of Montana. All groups have thousands of members, and images that appeared to be generated by AI usually received tens of hundreds of reactions and comments complementing the scenery.
The practice of passing these images off as original photographs has led to ethical and financial challenges. Meta's policy on AI states that images generated through their Meta AI model are labeled as AI, but are currently working on how to label images that come from other models, according to their website. Leitner notes that these images are often presented as real photos and gain significant attention, making it more difficult for genuine photographers to stand out.
“It weighs on me every time I see an AI image that somebody posted as a real photo and they get hundreds of likes or whatever. I know they're making money on it from all those likes, and it bothers me that it takes so little effort and it's so easy for them to put out 50 images a day if they want to, yet I struggle with my content. I know my content's good," said Leitner. “I don't make much money doing this, but I can't afford to lose any of the followers I have."
Leitner has taken to Facebook several times to raise awareness about the rise of AI content and share his concerns. In his most recent post from last week, he shared that the sensational images receive increased interactions on the platform that translate into revenue. He notes that even pointing out the use of AI in the comments still leads to more interactions, and thus more revenue for the poster.
"They really strike a nerve with me when I see the interaction they get for 5 minutes of work, where I've spent years building this page. Meanwhile, I (and others like me) are here trying to show the real world honestly and being overrun by AI. The point is, I can't compete with those posting AI-generated images," wrote Leitner on his account.
While AI can produce realistic images, they often exhibit telltale signs that can reveal their artificial origins. These include anatomical abnormalities in people, smooth, plasticky textures, and strange shadows that don't align with natural lighting.
“The context of the image or the source. If it says this is the Beartooth Highway and it obviously isn't the Beartooth Highway, then you can guess that it's an AI image," said Leitner.
Despite the challenges AI presents, Leitner does not view the technology as entirely negative. He recognizes that AI and Photoshop can be a helpful tool for photographers, especially in editing or removing distracting elements from photos.
"I use it sometimes to remove power lines if they're in the way or remove a piece of garbage or maybe a car drove by right then," said Leitner. "The base image is still what I saw and what I took when I was there.”
For now, Leitner remains committed to his craft and online business while continuing to navigate the changing landscape of AI and the impact it has on photography. Despite the future's uncertainty, he knows the essence of photography and capturing a moment, feeling, or unique perspective cannot be replicated by AI.
“AI hasn't figured out how to add feeling to an image yet. Where when you go out and take a photo, you can catch the feeling just by being there," said Leitner. "AI will never be able to replicate the feeling, I hope anyway.”
