The smartphone camera has evolved significantly over the years, thanks to the integration of AI and machine learning. While these technologies have undoubtedly improved image quality, there's a growing concern about the trend of oversharpening and brightening photos, which Sony's new Xperia 1 VIII exemplifies. The "AI Camera Assistant" feature, which suggests various expressive options with different adjustments, has received backlash for drastically altering the original image, making it appear overly bright and lacking in color and contrast. This trend is not unique to Sony; Google's new "Smart enhance" tool for Instagram Edits on Android shares similar issues. The oversharpening and brightening of shadows to match the subject result in flat and uninteresting images. While Google's tool is less severe, it still contributes to the same camera trend. The author argues that this trend is a result of the focus on throwing more AI at every problem, rather than using machine learning to enhance the existing camera sensor. The Pixel camera, despite being consistent and good, has fallen into a lesser version of this trend, with the contrast-y look of past models disappearing in favor of flatter and less vibrant images. The author concludes that this trend is the "final boss" of the worst camera trend, and Sony's implementation is particularly embarrassing. The article also mentions the FTC's use of income-earning auto affiliate links.
