The Synthetic Eye: Photography Transformed in the Age of AI

A critic's survey of what generative AI does to photography, from the trust we place in images to the work photographers can still do with them.

The book asks how we can believe the images we are shown, what duty photographers, media and technology companies have to the authenticity of photographs, and whether synthetic imagery can improve our understanding of the world. It has seven chapters, including a portfolio of synthetic images (Synthetic Dreams) and sections on witnessing, alternative photographies, authorship, and peace and healing. It carries 88 illustrations. Thames & Hudson published it in 2025 in paperback.

Fred Ritchin is Dean Emeritus of the International Center of Photography School and a former professor at NYU Tisch. He was picture editor of The New York Times Magazine from 1978 to 1982 and created the first multimedia version of the newspaper in 1994-95. His earlier books include In Our Own Image, After Photography and Bending the Frame.