Ansel Adams’ Trust Says AI-Colorized Version Of His Work Was Exhibited Without Permission

The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust released a statement this weekend condemning the unauthorized use of the photographer’s name and work in creating an “AI-generated color version” of Adams’ “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico.” According to the trust, the work was put up for sale last month at the International Association of Photographic Art Dealers (AIPAD) photography fair. The Danziger Gallery exhibition “exploited Ansel’s name, reputation and most iconic image, failing to identify a human artist responsible for his creation,” the statement said.

Interestingly, the trust did not dispute the involvement of AI, noting that Adams “was remarkably prescient and excited about the potential of computers to transform photography.” The problem is that the exhibitor would have simply ripped off the artist’s work to make a profit from it.

“The Trust was not consulted or informed prior to the publication of the work,” said the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust. “Once alerted, we contacted James Danziger in real time, informing him of the Trust’s rights and requesting that the work be removed. Correspondence shared with the Trust shows that, despite our formal notice, Mr. Danziger subsequently exploited Ansel’s name, “Moonrise”, and the AIPAD presentation while pursuing a commercial AI colorization project involving the estates of other artists.” The statement then denounces the non-consensual use of the name and work of an artist for commercial purposes, calling the incident a “gross lack of ethical and professional judgment.”