Kate Middleton’s Doctored Photo is a Sign of Something Much More Serious
Trust in photos is eroding fast, and tech is to blame
This weekend Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, caused a stir in media circles when she published a UK Mother’s Day photo taken by Prince William.
The photo shows Kate Middleton with her children in a happy, smiling moment. Several news agencies picked up the photo and distributed it widely.
The problem? It turns out the photo was faked — or at least heavily edited.
Kate Middleton eventually addressed the controversy, apologizing and stating that, “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.”
The whole saga is a bit embarrassing for the royal family. But it’s also an indicator of a much bigger problem in the world of photography — and one that AI is about to make exponentially worse.
High Standards
News photographers like myself have always taken the veracity of images extremely seriously. Professional organizations for the trade, such as the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), have stringent editorial guidelines that ensure news photos are truthful.
