Nearly 90% of Surveyed Working Photographers Are Utilizing AI

VSCO has more and more included synthetic intelligence (AI) into its images merchandise, together with AI Lab, a devoted AI-based modifying platform contained in the VSCO app on iOS. To higher perceive how photographers really feel about AI and the way they wish to use it of their images workflow, VSCO carried out a survey of photographers throughout the U.S. and Canada in December, and the outcomes are fairly fascinating. The firm printed its report right this moment.

VSCO surveyed 401 “general popular photographers” within the U.S. and Canada, impartial of VSCO’s person base, and requested every how they understand, use, and take into consideration AI in inventive and enterprise environments. VSCO separated the respondents into two teams: 56 % had been working photographers, and 44 % had been self-described fanatics who’re severe about images however don’t earn cash from it.

Among the surveyed photographers, the most well-liked genres had been journey and way of life, adopted by panorama, nature, and wildlife. Portrait images rounded out the highest three. Across the board, regardless of the variety of sorts of photographers within the survey, the overwhelming majority use AI in some capability already as a part of their workflow.

“Photographers aren’t debating whether AI belongs in their workflow any longer — 83 percent are already using it,” says VSCO CEO Eric Wittman. “Over half use it weekly or daily. Among working photographers, that number doubles compared to enthusiasts — 68 percent use AI weekly or daily compared to 34 percent of enthusiasts.”

As Wittman acknowledges, photographers have “legitimate concerns about creative control, ethics, and professionalism” concerning AI. However, in VSCO’s survey, fewer than 5 % of respondents really feel threatened by AI. More respondents are typically open to AI of their workflow, no less than in restricted methods.

“This points toward a considered, practical relationship with technology, shaped by experience, not hype,” Wittman continues. “The deeper issue this research surfaces is the competition for their time. Nearly half of photographers spend between a quarter and half of their working hours on tasks that bring little creative satisfaction — file organization, planning, communication, promotion. For working photographers, time spent in this drudgery is even higher.”

Per VSCO, its findings level towards a future the place AI is a useful assistant or supporter to human-centered, human-driven creativity.

“At VSCO, that belief continues to guide how we think about technology: not as an end itself, but as a way to more deeply support photographers’ business and craft.”

Among all respondents, the strongest demand for AI focuses on instruments that deal with tedious duties, comparable to organizing recordsdata, keywording photographs, culling, dealing with emails and scheduling, and sending invoices. More photographers than not need AI to deal with extra of the duties that help or encompass the image-making course of itself.

In some circumstances, particularly with admin, photographers try to suit general-purpose AI instruments into their workflows. There aren’t many AI instruments particularly constructed for images companies but.

The hottest AI wishlist merchandise amongst all respondents was personalised picture modifying instruments that precisely study a photographer’s model. However, amongst working photographers, probably the most desired AI instruments deal with advertising, pricing and proposals, and consumer communication.

VSCO believes the outcomes it acquired from photographers recommend that photographers are typically prepared for AI instruments, and it’s now a query of to construct the exact software program that photographers need. Nearly half of working photographers have constructive feelings towards AI, and 44 % used extra AI in 2025 than the yr earlier than. Just 4 % of working photographers in VSCO’s survey have by no means used AI instruments.

As all the time, it’s fascinating to see how firms, particularly people who cater to photographers like VSCO, deal with AI. It’s one factor to help and assist photographers and one other to exchange them. VSCO says it’s dedicated to utilizing AI to provide photographers again their time to allow them to deal with the elements of images they care about most. Hopefully, that is still true indefinitely as the corporate expands its AI-based instruments.

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Image credit: VSCO. Header picture created utilizing an asset licensed by way of Depositphotos.com.