My Secret to Defeating A.I.

A.I. Can’t Touch Me

When the Artificial Intelligence Apocalypse strikes, I’ll be safely ensconced in my photography studio fortress, quietly capturing portraits for the underground rebellion while I wait for the digital dust to settle.

And if you’re a photographer who wants to survive along with me, keep reading, because I’m going to let you in to my secret for staying one step ahead of our Robot Overlords.

I’m not afraid of A.I.

If you’re new here, my name is Warren Shepherd, and I’m a portrait photographer currently based in Toronto - and I’m not afraid of A.I.

In fact, I embrace technology, although I’m not a slave to it. I’m not one of those photographers who believes better gear means better photos. Far from it. But I’m also not naïve enough to think that A.I. doesn’t have a place in our brave new world.

It’s already well-entrenched in so many facets of our society that we don’t even realize how integrated it’s become, working behind the scenes to make our lives more efficient - better if you will.

A.I. plays a crucial role in everything from face recognition, to voice assistants, online shopping websites, streaming platforms, gaming, Google Maps, ride-sharing apps, food delivery apps — the list is endless.

And the world of photography isn’t immune to its threat. A.I.-powered features in smartphones make it easier than ever for anyone to capture high-quality images. And A.I. tools can lower the barrier to entry for photography by automating many of the technical aspects of the craft, like focus, light metering, and image editing to name a few.

And Headshot Photographers beware! There are already apps out there where you can upload a simple photo from your phone and A.I. will generate a polished headshot that you can use for your business profile picture. The results may vary in quality and realism, but many users will find them more than adequate, sometimes even preferable to their own face.

NOT taken by me (thankfully)

And the scary thing is, the technology is only going to get better.

A.I. Is also being used in product photography and e-commerce fashion photography. Not only can it help speed up workflows, but it’s now possible for entire campaigns to be conceived and generated all without picking up a camera or hiring a model.

It’s impressive. Terrifying, maybe, but impressive. For some photographers in high-volume, assembly line studios, it’s revolutionary.

Yes, it’s going to eliminate jobs, but that’s always been the story with any emerging technology.

So why aren’t I worried? What makes me feel so bulletproof to this apparent hostile takeover? Well turn off your Google Home or Alexa or Siri (you know they’re listening) because I’m going to let you in to my secret key to surviving this existential onslaught.

It doesn’t involve any tricks. It doesn’t involve any equipment. And it doesn’t cost a thing. All you have to do, is be able to offer something to your clients that A.I. can’t — and hopefully, never will be able to:

The Human Touch.

This is where I thrive. I pride myself on my personal interactions, to build a rapport with each sitter, helping them feel comfortable revealing their inner soul. I’m not interested in assembly line portraits with stilted, soulless poses — that’s as cold and mechanical as A.I. can manage, and just as doomed to creative failure.

For me, it’s about building a connection — a human connection. A.I. can’t fake that — not yet, at least. It can’t build trust with a nervous client. It doesn’t recognize vulnerability. And it can’t spot that special moment of spontaneity: that once in a lifetime, lightning-in-a-bottle shot.

It can’t coax a long-forgotten memory from a subject in order to spark an authentic emotion. And it can’t bolster a client’s confidence when they feel anything but. No algorithm can replace intuition and empathy.

I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating: people come to me not to have a photo taken of them, but have a photo taken about them.

That sense of being understood, of having their truth captured, of being seen - it’s what clients truly value.

If you’re going to survive A.I., you’ve got to position yourself as that rare professional who can be trusted to guide, to coach, to shape a story with honesty and sincerity. You need to provide your sitters with a safe space to be themselves so they’ll have an experience they’ll remember and images they’ll treasure.

Sure, A.I. will dominate some areas, maybe even conquer them. But intimate, bespoke, emotionally charged portraits — that’s still going be down to this guy!

I aim to stand out in a world full of automatons, because when the dust settles, and A.I. has devolved into nothing more than a wasteland of digital mediocrity, The Rebellion will need some killer business headshots if it’s going to rebuild our civilization.

Absolutely NOT Tom Hardy

For now, we should absolutely adapt and use A.I. tools to streamline our work — we’d be fools not to. But don’t ever lose sight of what makes us different, what makes us unique: our humanity.

(Click the link to watch the video version of this timely story.)