Photography Shifts from Paper Albums to AI-Generated Images

Italian writer Marcello Veneziani argues that the move from paper photographs and family albums to the endless digital archives of smartphones has erased the selective, affective memory that once gave images an "aura". He cites Walter Benjamin’s ideas to highlight how the physical photograph once served as a tangible link across generations, a link now diluted by the sheer volume of images stored on mobile devices.

At the same time, advances in generative artificial intelligence are creating realistic pictures that have never been captured by a camera. The debate now includes new terms such as "syntografia" and security measures like a C2PA chip being tested in a Japanese camera. A German photographer’s recent refusal of an international award underscores the philosophical and artistic tensions surrounding AI‑produced imagery, prompting a reassessment of what photography means in the digital age.