An AI camera that doesn’t appear to exist, physically, has won an award. The aptly named AI Camera from Shenzhen-based design studio, Inspire Curve, has been recognized by the iF Design Awards, and I’ll admit that it does look like a rather slick bit of kit, albeit practically questionable. But I’m not ready to dismiss it as another AI affront to photography just yet...
When it comes to the design, I can’t help but wonder if it’s a case of form over function. Images (presumably digital renders) don’t look particularly ergonomic; the camera is essentially a cuboid with no visible grip. And whether that’s a secondary optic, an LED light, or a strobe that sits in the top-left corner of the device’s face, it looks like it’ll be a challenge to hold the camera without partially covering it.
Clearly, the Inspire Curve AI Camera isn’t targeted at photography enthusiasts, with the AI outfit even going so far as to say: “This intelligent design removes the need for professional skills, offering users an easy, creative, and fulfilling photography experience.” Now, I don’t know about you, but developing professional skills and making my own mistakes are a huge part of the fulfillment I get from photography and indeed any other skill-based hobby. But here’s the thing. It’s easy to assume that an AI camera is a generative-AI-fuelled abomination that has nothing to do with photography at all, but having researched the AI Camera further, I'm at least intrigued by its educational potential.
I can see from promotional imagery that it displays exposure settings, even when set on Full Auto Mode, so there's some educational benefit there. But what’s really piqued my interest is what’s called Intelligent Composition Assistance. Here, the AI is said to suggest the optimum composition, leaving the user to reframe the scene accordingly.
This is an interesting concept, and while it could quickly become rather restrictive, this is the kind of feature I can see mainline entry-level cameras implementing in the future. Voice Creative Guidance allows the user to describe to the camera the photo that’s in their mind’s eye, which is said to act like a photography instructor. And finally, a function called Creative Reference Community supplies users with references from other users as inspiration for a given scene.
As it stands, there appears to be no launch date, and I still have my doubts about the practicality of the design, but the aforementioned educational features do have some merit. Entry-level cameras have featured guide modes and the like for years; AI-infused 'beginner modes' certainly seem like a natural progression. The problem is that fewer mainline entry-level cameras seem to exist, but that's a whole other discussion.
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