This letter represents the views of Old Gold & Black Multimedia Director Piper Saunders, not the Old Gold & Black.
The past is supposed to look like the past. Yet the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming historical footage. News organizations, including the BBC, have started using AI to upscale and enhance archival photos and video, producing cleaner, sharper versions of moments originally captured on grainy film and early broadcast equipment.
The BBC justifies this decision by arguing that “archive video footage is not of acceptable quality to current expectations.” They claim that because historical media do not look good according to modern standards, they are no longer valuable.
However, I believe there is far more value in an original image than the media usually recognizes. What they’re forgetting is that the quality of a video or photograph reflects the time period it came from, along with the advancements in technology since. Photographic technology has greatly progressed in recent years, with the mirrorless camera debuting in 2008 and only improving since then. By making an old photograph 21st-century quality, we lose the history behind that image, creating a version of the past that is more similar to the present.
In addition, journalism prides itself on reflecting information in a truthful manner that brings to light what is actually going on in the world. Photojournalists learn that what we capture should reflect the truth as much as written journalism. We limit our alteration of photos or videos to changing the lighting on a piece and never touch the coloration. These AI features have not existed long enough for photojournalists to discuss their ethical implications.
To be clear, the restoration of damaged footage or photographs serves an important purpose. It allows for media to be seen that otherwise would never make it out into the world, which can often reveal parts of society that have been suppressed. But AI enhancements that change the story behind an image or video corrupt journalistic integrity.
