Getty bets on human skill to outshoot AI at the World Cup

• "We need to figure out how to get something in their hands fast enough so that they're not tempted to go see what AI could do for them."

Reality check: The authorized photographic agency of FIFA offers its own generative AI tools but disallows the use of AI in the creation of images contributed by third parties.

• Editorial photos used by the media are still shot by human photojournalists.
• They rely on their own wired internet connection in addition to mobile hotspot devices "the size of a small baby" that each photographer has to carry.

Getty prepares for major events years in advance to ensure staff have all the necessary technology at each venue, Mandato says.

By the numbers: Over 35 editorial photographers took more than 1 million images over the course of a different event, the recent FIFA Club World Cup, according to Getty.

• The digital photography company estimates it will capture 2.5 million images at the 2026 World Cup.

The bottom line: Although "AI has taught everybody that anything's possible," Mandato says, Getty is "afraid to be complacent."