Are We Losing Our Ability to See What’s Real? A Crisis in Modern Visual Perception.

A day ago, I decided to run a little experiment on social media. I posted a headshot of a real person from a recent photo session and asked my audience one simple question:
“Do you think this is a real photo or AI-generated image?”

The responses were overwhelming—and fascinating.

People dove in with confidence, pointing out all sorts of “flaws” they claimed were signs of artificial intelligence:

• “The eyes look dead.”
• “The fingers are off.”
• “There’s no emotion in the face.”
• “The lighting is too perfect.”
• “It has that AI vibe.”

But here’s the twist:
It was 100% real.
A real person. A real photo session. Real light. Real moment.

When Perception Fails Reality

What struck me wasn’t just how many people were convinced it was fake—but how confidently they explained why. We’ve reached a point where our perception of images isn’t necessarily based on what we see, but how we feel about what we’re seeing.

It made me wonder:
Have we started to lose our ability to analyze images objectively?
Are we relying more on gut reactions shaped by biases—like whether we like or dislike AI—than on actual visual literacy?

Welcome to the Age of Uncertainty

Let’s face it: we’re living in an age where every image, video, and sound can be manipulated. AI-generated images are becoming so good, even trained eyes struggle to spot the difference. In some ways, we’ve already stepped into a world where reality is optional.

What’s even more worrying?
We’re no longer just fooled by fake images—we’re starting to doubt the real ones.

This experiment showed me something deeper:
We are no longer sure what “real” even means.

Photography in the Age of AI

As a headshot photographer, I’ve always believed in capturing the soul of a person—those little nuances in expression, body language, and emotion that machines just can’t replicate. But I’ve started to wonder:

• What happens when we no longer trust our own eyes?
• How do we, as photographers and viewers, adapt to a world where real and fake look the same?
• And more importantly, how do we stay grounded in what’s authentic?

The photography world is undergoing a massive shift—not just in how we create images, but in how we see them. We’re becoming more skeptical, more detached, and more confused. And maybe even a bit lost.

A Call for Conscious Viewing

This isn’t about attacking AI or rejecting progress. I use AI tools myself for editing and creative brainstorming. But we need to have an open conversation about what this new visual culture means for all of us.

I believe we need to:

• Slow down. Take a second look before jumping to conclusions.
• Reconnect. Learn how to read images again—not just with our eyes, but with presence and curiosity.
• Educate. Help each other distinguish between aesthetic preference and actual authenticity.
• Stay open. The world is changing, and we need to change with it—but without losing our human instincts.

The Reality Behind the Image

In this post, I’ll include the original photo from the experiment—along with a few more from the same session—to show that yes, this was a real person, in a real moment, during a real photo shoot.

This wasn’t a test to trick anyone. It was a conversation starter. And I’m grateful to everyone who commented and shared their thoughts. It opened my eyes to how we interpret visual reality today.

We’re at a crossroads. The question is:
Will we choose to sharpen our awareness—or surrender it to the machine?

Let’s keep the conversation going.