The subject line says it all. Once I remove the question mark from the file name, Topaz Photo AI opens the images just fine. Drag-and-drop or trying to open via the file menu does not matter. File format does not matter.
Topaz Photo AI v1.2.6 on Mac
I can confirm this. M1 Mac mini Ventura 13.3.
This was/is the case with other photographic software I have used, but not sure if it’s still the case. I can certainly open the file with On1 PR 2023 and DxO PR2.
Question marks, and asterisks are special characters in search functions. They’re wildcards and have been for over 50 years now. Using them in filenames is dangerous. Don’t!!!
I suggest you raise a support request at the main website as these applications are multi-platform and you cannot use special characters in Windows file-names.
Generally you should not use special characters in any filenames on any platforms.
This may well apply to Windows, but not to Mac OS. No other application has ever had a problem with question marks in file names and that’s going back a couple of decades.
I am sure the issue can be easily fixed. By the way, it took me a while to hone in onto the question mark as the spanner in the works because the message “Could not read image” is not true.
I’m not going to argue with you. As Don mentioned…the product Topaz and graphic files in general are multi-platform and should not contain those characters. If you were sending your files to an agency that was paying YOU, and they were using Windoz, and refused your file naming structure, you’d change your mind quickly. 
You cannot use special characters in Windows filenames and, as this is a multi platform app it doesn’t either.
