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A piece that won the Grand Prize in a Japanese photography competition had its award revoked when concerns emerged that it was produced with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).

The Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported on the 9th that the award for the piece *‘My Head! (Ore no atama da zo!)’*, which had been chosen as the Grand Prize at the *‘42nd Saitama Prefecture Photo Salon’* jointly organized by the Saitama Prefecture branch of the All-Japan Association of Photographic Societies and Asahi Shimbun, has been canceled.

The acclaimed artwork, which froze the instant a dragonfly perched on a frog’s head, was honored with the Grand Prize for its *‘humor and outstanding composition’*. The photograph was displayed at the Saitama Prefectural Museum of Modern Art last September and was also showcased in the Saitama edition of the Asahi Shimbun.

Nevertheless, following the release of the work, online doubts arose suggesting it was an AI-created image. This was because of its remarkable similarity to AI-generated images that had been shared on foreign websites.

As the debate intensified, the organizers verified the details with the artist, who stated, *‘I submitted a piece I didn’t produce’*. The artist, nevertheless, did not address whether the work was genuinely made with AI.

The organizers stated that although they couldn’t verify if the piece was created using artificial intelligence, the decision to cancel it was valid since it was clearly not the artist’s original work.

The organizers expressed their apologies, saying, *‘We apologize as the hosts,’* and further mentioned, *‘We plan to implement procedures for managing AI-created images in upcoming competitions.’*