This text explores the shift in the perception of photography and the role of Polaroid in the age of generative AI. It discusses how Polaroid is positioning itself as a producer of realness and meaningful photographs. The value of a Polaroid camera is seen as authenticity, not only for the content of the image but also for the method of capture. It highlights the contrast between film and digital photography and how film cameras evoke material scarcity and the discipline of a less forgiving technique. The text also explores the potential impact of generative AI on reality, memory, and the commodification of authenticity.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polaroid pivoting from creatives to meaningful photographs | Shift from creativity to meaningfulness | Photos will be valued for their authenticity and uniqueness | Changing perception of what makes a photo “meaningful” |
| Polaroid marketing authenticity and film stock | Film cameras evoke material scarcity and value | Film cameras seen as artisanal and vulnerable | Desire for authenticity and the ritual elements of film photography |
| Generative AI casting doubt on all forms of media | Reality becomes scarce and media becomes unstable | Class divides sharpened as reality becomes niche taste | Uneven imposition of generative AI and the burden of doubt |
| AI editing personal photos into events that never occurred | Photos become distorted and memories become uncertain | Doubt over the authenticity and reliability of memories | Fear of losing control over personal memories and self-identity |
| AI shaping what appears on screens | Reality becomes narrow and collective experience fades | AI undermines shared public space and collective reality | AI as a weapon that erodes collective experience and reinforces inequality |
| AI blurring the line between real and simulated memories | Memories become codified and simulated by AI models | AI simulates memories better than future experiences | Desire to remember and fill in gaps in personal memories |