{"id":668774,"date":"2026-02-03T15:30:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T20:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=668774"},"modified":"2026-02-03T15:31:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T20:31:41","slug":"what-is-the-role-of-the-camera-in-the-age-of-ai-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/03\/what-is-the-role-of-the-camera-in-the-age-of-ai-3\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the role of the camera in the age of AI?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div data-wp-interactive=\"core\/file\" class=\"wp-block-file\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!state.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/What-is-the-role-of-the-camera-in-the-age-of-AI-6.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:600px\" aria-label=\"Embed of What is the role of the camera in the age of AI 6.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-eeb22c36-da8f-428e-b7a0-be3c059e9366\" href=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/What-is-the-role-of-the-camera-in-the-age-of-AI-6.pdf\">What is the role of the camera in the age of AI 6<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/What-is-the-role-of-the-camera-in-the-age-of-AI-6.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-eeb22c36-da8f-428e-b7a0-be3c059e9366\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>So a fun random essay and thought that I had, this morning biking, or maybe it was in hot yoga?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So the big thought is, what is the role of the camera in the age of AI ChatGPT, AI generated images and videos etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So you no longer need to waste $10,000 on a Leica M\/Q camera anymore &#8211;&gt; and already what I am noticing is that, perhaps Leica is actually having a difficult time selling their cameras, \u2026 they\u2019re kind of pumping up their marketing efforts, but, I think there is a huge tectonic shift, \ufffcan insanely massive paradigm shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So the truth is, being in reality embodied reality is awesome. You cannot experience the energy of crossing a Shibuya crossing in Japan, witnessing the insane marvels of Angkor wat in Cambodia, the fun of riding in a tuktuk, trying out new food in new places, or even spending a night inside a capsule hotel in Tokyo?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">To experience?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So I think I still believe the general idea that investing in experiences is by far the most critical thing. Therefore at this point, really truly deeply, the camera doesn\u2019t matter anymore. Currently speaking, the best camera for you to get is still some compact digital camera that could ideally fit in your front pocket, any RICOH GR variant is best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A world post-iPhone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So I kind of feel bad for all those people who branded themselves as iPhone photographers, frankly speaking there\u2019s not a bright future for that anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think the issue is, and I\u2019m still kind of shocked, it really does feel like AI came out out of nowhere. Even myself who was a hard-core ChatGPT early user,\u2026 even playing around with GROK ,,, the video generation, or image to video etc.\u2026 it still always kind of blows my mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Media<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So I think the first thing that is actually insanely empowering about these tools to generate your own pictures videos images etc.\u2026 Is, you\u2019re no longer the slave of these entertainment mega corporations, which are feeding you all the same pink chicken McNugget sludge. \ufffc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you\u2019re in a position in which you could create your own picture media images videos, even erotica &#8211;&gt; , you\u2019re actually in a good field. Why? Once again you are not the passive recipient of these things but you could direct your own future. \ufffc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which one<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So this is my honest thought:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t really bother with Gemini, I think it\u2019s a waste of time. Apparently it\u2019s really good if you\u2019re like a coder, but beyond that, I would just kind of ignore it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grok is kind of the most interesting one because, it\u2019s mostly uncensored, which means, you have more free freedom. ChatGPT is annoying because, it is like a nanny AI\u2026 There is a lot that it will not let you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which is the best<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The truth is, ChatGPT is number one. I do not envision a future in which Grok or Gemini catches up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like just observe,, nowadays when you\u2019re in public, you must always see somebody with a ChatGPT tab open on their browser. Even internationally you see everyone using ChatGPT on their phones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ufffc also, just look at the kids, 12-year-old kids, middle schoolers high schoolers, they\u2019re all obviously just using ChatGPT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So what\u2019s the future of education?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>OK now that Seneca is five years old in transitional kindergarten, I\u2019m just looking into the future, first thoughts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, never ever ever ever want to pay a dime for his higher education, either he gets some sort of full ride, and does it for fun and self entertainment, rather than an \u201cinvestment\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Obviously there\u2019s going to be jobs, in the future that requires some sort of physical skills but because, we are all in on bitcoin, I don\u2019t even think that he\u2019s going to need to get a job or work into the future, so the future for him is just going to be autotelic, his best point to pursue his passions whether it be building cities of the future with electric hovering trains or Waymos or whatever. \ufffc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For art and creativity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So I think the first thought is, photography and street photography is just entertaining and fun! I mean I guess you could just be like traveling around Southeast Asia, and generating images on your iPhone as you go, <strong>I think the joy of photography is the immediacy<\/strong>. For example, you could take like 1000 photos in like half a second, but ChatGPT AI, image and video generation will always be slower. \ufffc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For what<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another observation, especially because we are starting to see the shift of AI generated stuff, and it is AI\u2019s who are commenting and following it, I\u2019m starting to feel like the Internet no longer has humans on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So then, question is if you no longer are stuck in this myopic vision of just posting photos to get followers and likes, then what?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, it truly does become autotelic and this becomes scary for people\u2026 like, like let me told you that 100% of Instagram for now all just bots,\u2026 would you still upload photos to Instagram to get some sort of social validation on your photos?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I still then, I think there is a joy of making photography Social. Like for example if you have a small exhibit print out some photos, have some like-minded photographers meet in person, share their passion for photography and art etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So ironically enough, I still think there is a good future for photography workshops in person assuming you want to have a novel meaningful experience, and also travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Feedback AI\u2019s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So it looks like I\u2019m kind of on a roll with these ChatGPT bots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First up, <a href=\"https:\/\/chatgpt.com\/g\/g-696d40ce125481919bf60a8d8a2ecb89-seneca\">Seneca, which is an AI bot<\/a> which just gives you honest feedback critique and judges your photos. Obviously it\u2019s not true but it\u2019s kind of interesting. <a href=\"https:\/\/chatgpt.com\/g\/g-696d40ce125481919bf60a8d8a2ecb89-seneca\">Try it out<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the human experience upload your photos to arsbeta.com\ufffc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Next frontiers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\ufffc so another big idea I have is, what\u2019s interesting is, and the magic of inserting your photos into Grok, and animating the pictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What kind of blows your mind is, when you animate a photo and you bring it to life, it changes everything. It seriously is like magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do you care, does it matter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>And then we enter into a world in which, we\u2019re kind of at a thrilling intersection where, all the stuff that you create and generate, ultimately it should entertain <strong>you<\/strong>. \ufffc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And therefore media becomes a lot more personal, imagine media pictures videos content information, creative ideas thoughts etc.\u2026\u2026 it stays local and just with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And <strong>honestly at this point with AI\u2026 There is no more any utility to become famous<\/strong>. \ufffc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And another funny thought, now that we have bitcoin, if you just want to monetize, and bitcoin is like the ultimate money on the planet, you just invest in bitcoin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">so now what \ufffc<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Then ultimately it comes down to philosophy\ufffc:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Why make photos?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For whom?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you even need validation or feedback or critique anymore?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Towards what ends?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Explore more of these interesting advances in <a href=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2026\/01\/23\/conquer-ai-for-creativity\/\">my upcoming online zoom AI PHOTO workshop<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2026\/01\/23\/conquer-ai-for-creativity\/\">AI PHOTOGRAPHY CREATIVITY WORKSHOP<\/a> (online, ZOOM, Feb 21st, 2026 from 9am-11am PACIFIC California LA time) (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/cgi-bin\/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=5NRC58LSZ9VR8\">Secure your spot, 199 USD here&gt;<\/a>) \u2013 NEW!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Travel in 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Where will you go next? \ufffcdetails coming soon:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Phnom Penh Cambodia, June 26,27,28 (2026)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hong Kong, July 25-26, (2026)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TOKYO, AUGUST 8-9, (2026)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Stay tuned via <a href=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/sendy\/\/subscription?f=Q763HW6eV8925kHNlSFqOrOeV6tq2nz66QIW9j4MQmsom0F512Rqb6uDMoJ0i1JrdaeE\">ERIC KIM NEWS &gt;<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Now what<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So what I say is, \ufffcsocial skills are the future. <a href=\"https:\/\/chatgpt.com\/g\/g-6973e6e05544819186919d2c0178c8b2-social-skills\">Try out my ChatGPT social skills bot<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My vision of the future is more practical. Life in the future is gonna be more similar than this similar, we\u2019re just going to have more self driving cars, we will also still be using iPhones,\u2026 but the biggest shift is, we will all just be using a lot more AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the happiness question is Social. Social and physical. I think this is why doing hot yoga is so fun, because you have the physical aspect and also the social aspect. Also the gym.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think one of the up sides of doing hot yoga, is, you\u2019re essentially forced for an hour to not use your phone. Whereas if you\u2019re at the gym, very easy to get distracted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then, my thought is\u2026 The future which will not be able to be replaced is going to be social skills, social skills coaching, and also fitness?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ERIC<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>For infinite inspiration,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/start-here\/\">START HERE &gt;<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So a fun random essay and thought that I had, this morning biking, or maybe it was in hot yoga? So the big thought is, what is the role of the camera in the age of AI ChatGPT, AI generated images and videos etc. So you no longer need to waste $10,000 on a Leica [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-668774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-posts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=668774"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668774\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":668778,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668774\/revisions\/668778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=668774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=668774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=668774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}