For years, Samsung’s smartphone cameras have been at the center of media attention thanks to the company’s ability to produce high-resolution images and impressive zoom capabilities. The Galaxy S20 Ultra’s ‘Space Zoom,’ which can magnify an object up to 100 times, is one of the features that has generated the most buzz among consumers. On the other hand, a recent post on Reddit has cast doubt on the veracity of Samsung’s moon shots by asserting that these photos are nothing more than the product of computer-generated imagery.
A user on Reddit with the username u/ibreakphotos attempted to recreate Samsung’s moon shot by conducting an experiment. The experiment involved downloading a nearly perfect image of the moon from the internet and reducing the image’s resolution to 170 by 170 pixels. After that, a Gaussian blur was applied to the image, which resulted in the loss of all of the detail. The image that had been blurry was then upscaled by 4x in order to make it clearer, and a photograph of the image was taken of it using a mobile device. Because the final product looked almost exactly like Samsung’s moon shots, a user on reddit called u/ibreakphotos came to the conclusion that Samsung uses artificial intelligence to add texture to its moon shots.
There has been no denial from Samsung regarding the use of AI in their cameras, and the company’s website states that their cameras produce high-quality images by utilizing a combination of hardware and software. On the other hand, the company has in the past been accused of engaging in deceptive advertising and of employing AI in order to enhance their images. This begs the question: are Samsung’s moon shots real, or were they simply generated by artificial intelligence?
Samsung "space zoom" moon shots are fake, and here is the proof from Android
According to u/ibreakphotos, Samsung is using an AI model that incorporates detail in the image, such as craters, that would otherwise have been missing, creating nothing more than a blurry image. This detail could not have been created without Samsung’s use of the AI model. When an AI model is specifically trained on hundreds, if not thousands, of images of the moon, the image that is produced by the model can turn out to be more pleasing than was initially anticipated.
The application of artificial intelligence (AI) by Samsung to improve the quality of images is not new; in fact, the company has been using AI in their cameras for many years. Their cameras make use of machine learning algorithms that have been trained to create high-quality images, with the AI adjusting the exposure, contrast, and saturation of the image in order to make it look more appealing. However, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to the process of adding texture to photographs is a relatively recent innovation, and this raises questions about the authenticity of Samsung’s moon shots.
In the past, Samsung has been accused of engaging in deceptive advertising; the results of the experiment conducted by u/ibreakphotos appear to confirm these allegations. The “moon shots” that Samsung has released are not actual photographs taken of the moon but rather artificial intelligence-generated images designed to look like the moon. Despite the fact that this may appear to be a trivial problem, it does call into question the company’s dedication to producing high-quality images as well as their willingness to mislead customers.
Even though Samsung has not responded to the post on Reddit, it is abundantly clear that the company needs to address the concerns that have been raised. Customers want to know that the photos they take with their smartphones are authentic and not just computer-generated artifacts of some kind created by artificial intelligence. The application of artificial intelligence by Samsung in their cameras does not present a problem; however, the company’s practice of using AI to mislead customers does.
In conclusion, Samsung’s “moon shots” are not actual photographs taken of the moon but rather artificial intelligence-generated images designed to appear to be of the moon. Despite the fact that this may appear to be a trivial problem, it does call into question the company’s dedication to producing high-quality images as well as their willingness to mislead customers. These are concerns that need to be addressed, and Samsung needs to be open and honest about how they use AI in their cameras. Consumers have a right to be informed of any and all relevant information regarding the photographs they take with their smartphones.
