A winner in an international photography competition has renounced his award after revealing that his artwork was generated with the help of artificial intelligence.

German artist Boris Eldagsen said he submitted his image to this years Sony World Photography Awards in a bid to test whether such competitions are prepared for the entrance of realistic, AI-generated submissions. His announced win last month in the creative category led him to conclude that they are not.

AI images and photography should not compete with each other in an award like this. They are different entities. AI is not photography. Therefore I will not accept the award, he said in a statement last week that was shared on his website.

Eldagsen said he did not initially disclose that his artwork was AI-generated when in December he submitted his piece, titled Pseudomnesia: The Electrician. The contest said the submissions could be made using any device, he said.