Technology 3 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
AI's Double-Edged Sword in Uganda's Photography Scene
Generative AI is transforming photography by boosting editing efficiency and creativity, but it sparks debates over deepfakes, child exploitation, and eroding trust in authentic images. Ugandan experts highlight both opportunities and urgent needs for better IP protections and public awareness. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/insight/photography-how-ai-keeps-splitting-opinion-5412680
Artificial intelligence is reshaping Uganda’s photography landscape, which spans photojournalism, studio glamour, and event coverage. While tools enhance post-production, concerns mount over authenticity and ethics.
Documentary photographer Jimmy Adriko notes AI mainly aids after-effects currently, but Unicef warns of deepfakes creating sexualised child images via ‘nudification’, victimising kids and complicating law enforcement.
Stella Nantongo of Uganda Press Photo Awards questions how photography can document reality amid AI-generated fakes fueling misinformation. She sees value in AI for climate visuals but stresses reliance on human-shot images reflecting true events.
Optimists like Canon executive Amine Djouahra praise AI for quick edits, noise reduction, and features like smart autofocus and colour enhancement, slashing editing time while preserving human creativity.
Yet challenges persist: no IP safeguards for Ugandan photographers, bias in AI algorithms, privacy risks from facial recognition, and ownership disputes for AI-altered works. Pixifi software highlights ethical pitfalls and workflow automation potential.
Nantongo calls for industry input in policy talks, using interim laws like Data Protection Act. Djouahra urges balancing AI’s power with human ingenuity for innovative results.
AI Pros in Photography: Better quality, time savings, object removal, camera smarts, creative boosts, future visualisations.
AI Cons: Fakes and deepfakes, exploitation, trust erosion, ethical issues, privacy threats, IP gaps, creativity dilution.
This article draws from Daily Monitor (Uganda).