AI has shaken the creative industry, and at Getty Images, its global inspection team is diligently reviewing submissions for AI-generated elements.
Chris Dwyer, the recently appointed Head of Creative APAC at Getty Images, told Mediaweek that images uploaded and submitted by their creators are reviewed by the team to ensure their commercial viability, appropriateness for the library and whether there is AI use.
“Our library is free of AI. It’s something I’m proud to be a part of and continue to contribute to that library because it comes from human creativity and ingenuity.”
“We have a very skilled team of inspectors that review everything to make sure that AI doesn’t filter into our library at all.”
Dwyer acknowledged AI as a powerful tool that can create visuals and assist in the mundane tasks of creativity, but said it could never replace creativity.
“AI is great if you want to use it as long as it’s commercially safe. But I think we are hitting a point where the line between AI visuals and human-made visuals is blurring, and it’s really hard to identify.
“It’s very confusing and a lot is going on. But as AI hits that peak of perfection, I think realness is being craved a little bit more. There is a real value put on reality and quality.
“I don’t think anyone really wants to live in a completely synthetic world, and AI is there to assist us, but it just really can’t replace human creativity,” he added.’
Dwyer: ‘All of my skills and expertise I’ve built up over my entire life culminated in this moment with Getty Images.’
Dwyer on bringing APAC to the global stage with Getty Images
Getty Images tapped Dwyer as its new Head of Creative in April to oversee the Asia Pacific region after more than a decade with The Works, part of Capgemini.
“I think this role was custom-made for someone with my skill set,” he said.
Dwyer brings over 20 years of experience in advertising, graphic design, art direction, film and photography to the role. He shared that he was drawn to a role that was open for him to “create beautiful visuals that are rich with storytelling.”
“All of my skills and expertise I’ve built up over my entire life culminated in this moment with Getty Images,” he said.
“My goal here is to use that expertise to drive it through with my team to inspire them, educate, create and lift creativity.
“Getty is a leader in creativity. We’re a leader in visual storytelling and content.
“It’s about ensuring that quality across APAC continues to improve and the excellence in execution can be seen, and making sure the cultural nuances are hit correctly, and we represent people authentically.”
Dwyer, based in Sydney, heads up a team of five across Japan, Thailand and Malaysia who are on the ground at a grassroots level to ensure cultural nuances in visuals are captured correctly and respectfully.
He explained that the visual archive platform aims to identify and showcase a country or region’s creative qualities through images that elevate those elements.
“What I want to do in APAC is make sure those cultural nuances from all those creators around APAC are brought to the forefront and shown on a global scale. It’s about ensuring that creativity and nuances shine through our visual storytelling.”
Representation without retouching
Dwyer shared that the key to achieving that is: “listening and enhancing different regional nuances without trying to change them at all.”
“We even ask for people not to retouch any of their images, to not change any skin tones, which would have happened in the past.
“Now, we want to see reality for the way it is. We want to see all of APAC represented accurately, to what it would look like day to day.”
He added that people want to see themselves represented and that the Getty Images library’s ambition is to ensure people with disabilities, of differing body shapes, and skin colour are seen.
“We are a huge library, the world’s biggest visual archive, and we want to make sure that we’re representing everyone the way that they look, and there are so many nuances the Visual GPS goes into.”
Visual GPS is Getty Images’ data backed research and trend reporting that gives brands, marketers and creatives insights into consumer behaviour, search and download data and creative expertise and analysis.
Dwyer called it a “game changer” tool to empower advertisers with insights into specific demographics, regions and what is driving the visual demand.
“We have a lot of data, and it all gets pumped into Visual GPS, and you can identify what’s resonating around the world, no matter what topic you’re looking for.”
Beyond stock: Elevating the creative bar
For Dwyer, innovation in visual storytelling centres on elevating the craft of creativity.
“Right now, we have a beautiful, commercially safe library that is used by everyone around the world. My vision is to really elevate the creativity in that.
“I want Getty Images library to be a place where people come for inspiration, where they come to see someone who is leading the trend, not following the trend.”
Dwyer noted that while there will be challenges to elevate creatively, Getty’s global creative department is striving to make that happen and be leaders in creativity and visual storytelling.
Looking ahead, Dwyer said that growth is high on the agenda for Getty Images in the APAC region.
“We are growing organically, and we’re going to see great things come out of Southeast Asia and Australia.
“We are going to become the drivers of visual storytelling and what visual quality will look like across the globe. There’s a lot to do, but I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Top image: Chris Dwyer