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Ian Gilbert, the founder of Emotion Picture Photography, has issued a caution to parents who employ artificial intelligence (AI) tools to remove watermarks from school photographs, highlighting the potential risks associated with how companies might exploit images of children. Gilbert, based in Pontypool, Torfaen, shared that at school gates, he often overhears parents boasting about using these AI methods to avoid purchasing the official photos. “The scary thing is when you submit a picture to AI by default it is allowed to do whatever it wants and I don’t think a lot of parents realise that,” he explained, emphasizing the lack of awareness surrounding the implications of uploading children’s images to AI platforms.
This growing trend is viewed by Gilbert as a form of theft, equivalent to shoplifting in the physical world. He stated, “People wouldn’t go into a shop and take a tag off something and take it without paying. It’s as though because it’s something you can do online at home, it seems to numb it in people’s eyes.” The impact of this behavior is significant for photographers and schools alike: Gilbert estimated that about 25% of the photographs distributed are being illegally copied using screenshots to feed AI tools, directly translating into lost revenue. “That’s a quarter of parents not paying. A quarter of profit lost for us. Also the school get a cut from the revenue as well, so it’s a loss for the school,” he noted.
Gilbert also recounted conversations overheard after photographing at schools, where parents discussed using AI to strip watermarks for as little as a pound. He pointed out that these tools often allow users to claim ownership of an image to initiate watermark removal. Despite offering photographs at what he considers affordable prices starting at £9, Gilbert is worried that such AI misuse not only reduces photo quality but also forces price hikes, adversely affecting all customers. “For the sake of a couple of pounds with AI you’re getting such a lower-quality product and ultimately it just makes us have to put prices up again, which is unfair for everyone,” he said. To combat these challenges, Gilbert’s company is exploring advanced technical solutions, including embedding moving images over photographs to prevent unauthorized copying.
In addition to the economic consequences, AI safety experts and academics warn of privacy and safeguarding concerns linked to uploading personal photos online. Dr. Simon Thorne, a senior computer science lecturer at Cardiff School of Technologies, urged caution, advising, “never upload any personable identifiable photos.” He described the practice as risky because images might be stored indefinitely, reused, or sold without users’ knowledge, potentially contributing to training future AI models. Thorne also raised concerns about photos featuring multiple children, which could inadvertently expose others without parental consent. He cited an example where a parent used AI to digitally insert a child who had missed a school photo, noting, “they did not seem to appreciate that uploading and manipulating images of children in this way can carry real privacy and safeguarding risks.”
Legal professionals echo the viewpoint that removing watermarks through AI constitutes copyright infringement. Matthew Sammon, a chartered trademark attorney, reinforced Gilbert’s claim by stating, “Photographers use a watermark to protect the image from being copied, if that is removed that is copyright infringement.” While photographers hold the right to pursue legal remedies, such as injunctions and damages, Sammon acknowledged the practical difficulties faced by school photographers due to the high costs and time involved in legal actions. As Sammon explained, “In many respects they are reliant on the honesty of their customers, so if they had to launch proceedings they would spend time and effort on that rather than getting on with their job.” Meanwhile, voices from the industry remain concerned about the broader implications AI misuse has on their profession and stress the need for greater awareness and education regarding the risks involved
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