AI 'Restoration' Tools Are Fabricating History, Not Preserving It
Summary
AI photo 'restoration' tools are fabricating history by inventing details that never existed, and experts warn that no workflow refinement can justify altering the visual identity of real people — true conservation means preserving what exists, not generating fiction.
Key Points
- AI photo 'restoration' tools like ON1's Restore AI are fundamentally flawed because they fabricate missing details rather than preserving what exists, effectively altering the visual identity of real people beyond recognition.
- Art conservationists at Florence's Opificio delle Pietre Dure reject the concept of 'restoration' entirely, preferring conservation, which means protecting what exists without adding or removing anything — a standard AI cannot meet.
- ON1 acknowledges the controversy by apologizing for misleading press kit examples, but the core problem remains the process itself, as no amount of workflow refinement can justify AI inventing historical details that were never captured.