VSCO Report: Photographers' Perception and Use of Artificial Intelligence

Publication Date: 11.04.2026

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VSCO has published a new report investigating how photographers use artificial intelligence, based on responses from professional and amateur photographers. Here are the findings of the report.

Photographers exhibit cautious optimism despite concerns about ethical issues and loss of creative control

In the past few months, VSCO has added many tools to the AI Lab platform, such as scaling, deblurring, and restoration.

While these tools aim to facilitate the editing and post-production workflows of photographers, they have also received online objections from a group stating, "nobody wants more AI."

Therefore, VSCO decided to explore how real photographers perceive, adopt, and apply artificial intelligence in their work.

The company published a report titled “Photographers + AI: Industry Report” after interviewing 401 professional photographers and photography enthusiasts specializing in various fields such as portrait, fashion, real estate, travel, lifestyle, and commercial photography.

According to VSCO, 68% of working photographers use artificial intelligence weekly or daily, while the rate is 34% among amateurs. However, the overall adoption rate is much higher, reaching 83% among all photographers and 76% among amateurs.

Interestingly, less than half of the participants reported feeling excitement, hope, or inspiration from artificial intelligence. 5% felt threatened, while 17% expressed skepticism. The largest group, 32%, stated they were curious.

Concerns remain. The loss of creative control (42%), ethical concerns (39%), and professionalism concerns (34%) are real. Working photographers have more worries about this than amateurs.

When it comes to the areas where they want assistance from artificial intelligence, both professional photographers and amateurs primarily prefer post-production. This is followed by creative partnerships, email and calendar management, and finally coaching and mentoring.

Lastly, the report found that there are still many opportunities for AI tools specifically designed for photographers; less than 20% of participants use "AI tools designed for photographers." 63% use platforms like ChatGPT and Claude, while 39% use design-focused tools like Canva or Adobe products.

In summary, VSCO concluded:

Photographers are not resistant to artificial intelligence. They intentionally embrace it for application in significant areas while maintaining boundaries where human judgment is most important. The fear narrative is diminishing, giving way to a more realistic situation: the thoughtful and pragmatic adoption of tools that enhance photographers' work and lifestyle.

To examine the full report, which includes data on where they reinvest the time gained with AI tools and their AI wish lists, click this link.