Don’t Let AI Fears Stop Storytelling
By Ken Wood
A conversation I had with a nonprofit leader left me concerned.
We were taking photos of the kids the nonprofit serves and a father objected to a shot that may have included his son. While a media release is included in the application agreement signed by parents and guardians, we assured the man we wouldn’t use the shot. There was no need to make a point here, especially when people are routinely bombarded with AI-altered images.
A bigger issue, I believe, surfaced in the aftermath of this exchange.
The nonprofit executive wondered whether we should even be photographing our beneficiaries, given the plethora of perfectly innocent images altered online for less than innocent purposes. The executive was worried the nonprofit’s images or video could be changed and used in a negative or commercial way, and that maybe it would be best not to provide the content.
I credit the nonprofit leader for wanting to protect those the organization serves.
But banning visuals would have the opposite effect.
To survive, nonprofits desperately need to tell true stories that inspire. Some show success. Others demonstrate need. All need the kind of imagery that tells a prospective donor, “This is real.”
I’m not discounting the possibility that well-meaning images could be altered or used by others in a way the nonprofit never intended. In fact, you should build strong guardrails. Organizations should not only be transparent with media/photo/video release guidelines but also regularly note them in separate communications to beneficiaries and staff members.
Not capturing or using images of those impacted by your work just because someone “might” do something nefarious would be short-sighted. It would be the first step in a gradual withdrawal from reality – and from the truth. Tell your story respectfully and fearlessly.
Throughout history, communications platforms have changed. Humans have adapted, using new technology to tell their stories in richer and more impactful ways. While we don’t know what’s next for AI, nonprofits should not prematurely predict doom. Take the photo. Tell the story.
