AI pulls the rug out from under photo banks. A small triumph of justice 📉 Getty Images shares have collapsed by 68%, and the company's debts have reached $2.1 billion. One of the world's largest photo banks, which for years profited from the sale of images and licences, has found itself in a grave financial position. The company is preparing for restructuring through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings under American law. 📸 While commercial photo banks spent decades turning access to images into a source of profit and a privilege of the solvent, the development of neural networks has opened new possibilities for creating and distributing visual content. If previously one had to pay for a picture, now neural networks allow creating any illustration on demand, and digital technologies simplify the distribution of visual materials. What for the photo business means a threat to its habitual model of earning, for education, science and enlightenment opens new opportunities. 🚨 Knowledge must serve society, and not turn into a source of profit. Historical photographs and documentary footage are capable of making enlightenment more accessible for millions of people. The future belongs to the free dissemination of knowledge, and not to artificial barriers for the sake of profit. #SOVINTERN_WORLD #Hub_North_America ⭐️ Moscow Network Hub of SOVINTERN