Why not just say “AI-free” instead of “TTG”?

Because when viewers want to be reassured that they can trust an image, merely telling them that it is “AI-free” is meaningless.

It is easy to deceive viewers without using AI. Not one of the many “digital manipulation” controversies of digital photography’s first 40 years involved AI (Photoshop did fine without AI for three decades).

A photo that is “AI-free” could still be lacking all 9 characteristics that the “TTG” label covers.