It takes a human mind to create compelling art, right? Increasingly, it depends on who you ask.
In today's digital landscape, AI image generators have transformed creative expression, reproducing stunning visuals from minimal input data. These image generators transform a text prompt into a work of visual art that can look like anything from a vivid photograph to an abstract oil painting. They blur the lines between human imagination and machine intelligence, offering boundless creative possibilities.
Here’s an overview of AI image generators, with descriptions of some of the top AI image generators on the market.
What is an AI image generator?
An AI image generator is an artificial intelligence system that creates images from scratch based on input data, such as text prompts from users. AI image generators use deep learning techniques—particularly generative models—to produce realistic or abstract images that mimic the appearance of real-world objects or scenes.
How AI image generators work
- Users provide text prompts
- An AI model receives and processes the inputs
- The model refines the AI-generated image
- The system presents AI-generated images
AI image generators rely on complicated algorithms to process large volumes of data and identify patterns, and to generate responses. Here's a breakdown of how they work:
Users provide text prompts
To start, describe the image you want. This prompt can be as specific or vague as you like. You can detail elements like objects, characters, setting, style, and the emotional tone you’re looking for. For instance, you might try a sentence like: “A grainy color film photo of a cheerful golden retriever leaping over a hedge.”
An AI model receives and processes the inputs
AI image generation is possible because of AI models, typically powerful neural networks trained on a massive dataset of images and their corresponding text descriptions. This training allows the AI to learn the relationships between words and visual elements, enabling it to generate AI images that align with a user’s intent.
Once you’ve entered your text prompt, the AI model goes to work generating images. Yet before it can start rendering graphics, it analyzes your words to identify key concepts and objects and their relationships to each other.
The model refines the AI-generated image
Using its understanding of the prompt and knowledge from the training data, the AI image generator tool starts creating an image. This process can involve various techniques, but often it starts with a random noise pattern and progressively refines it based on the prompt details.
The AI picture generator iteratively refines the image, ensuring it aligns with the information gleaned from your text prompt. This may involve adjusting colors, shapes, and details to create a visually cohesive image.
The system presents AI-generated images
Finally, the AI generator presents you with a completed image—one that should align with your input prompts. Many of the leading generative AI tools produce multiple options for you to choose from. You can accept one of those options or try a different text description as you work toward the perfect image.
Top AI image generators
Whether you wish to dip your toes with a free AI art generator or are willing to pay for AI art and graphics, there are many programs to choose from to create AI-generated art. Here are some, in no particular order, for you to consider as you seek an AI image generator for your purposes:
DALL-E 3
DALL-E 3 by Open AI is known for its exceptional image quality, ability to generate images in various artistic styles, and faithfulness to the text prompt. It can also create images with different resolutions.
Pros: DALL-E 3 produces incredibly realistic and creative images. It’s highly versatile, with a wide range of capabilities, and it spits out new images in a few seconds.
Cons: DALL-E’s content policy restricts the generation of faces, and it disallows certain topics, including political content. This is more restrictive than what some competitors mandate, although most AI generative platforms forbid exploiting their tools to generate inappropriate content.
Pricing: DALL-E comes bundled with a paid version of ChatGPT with rates starting at $20 per month. Open AI offers more intricate pricing options as well, including pay-per-use, enterprise plans, and licensing of its image generator API.
Midjourney
Midjourney is known for its ability to produce dreamlike artistic images. It offers a vast vocabulary for deciphering text descriptions. This lets you easily create stunning visuals by using creative language. It works through a Discord chat interface.
Pros: It’s a powerful tool for creating artistic and unique images. It boasts a large and active online community you can leverage to share creations and prompts.
Cons: You’ll need a Discord account to generate images with Midjourney. Compared to other AI image generators, it gives you limited control over the image generation process.
Pricing: Midjourney starts at $10 per month for a limited number of generations. This is discounted to $8 per month when you purchase a full year upfront.
ImageFX
This free AI image generator is accessible through Google Labs. ImageFX offers a user-friendly interface for experimenting with different art styles and generating images based on text descriptions. It is still under development but shows promise for creative AI text-to-image generation.
Pros: ImageFX offers a simple interface that prompts you to provide a few words about the image you want to create. It integrates with other Google AI tools and offers the potential for innovative features as it develops. Plus, it’s free to use.
Cons: ImageFX presently has fewer features than similar generative AI models. It’s currently in an early access stage, with limited features compared to other options on this list.
Pricing: ImageFX is free to use in Google Labs.
StarryAI
The StarryAI platform uses Stable Diffusion, an open-source AI model that allows for a high degree of customization and control over the image generation process. Like other such models, StarryAI lets you generate AI art from a text prompt. Yet it goes beyond your standard AI art generator in that it lets you upload your own training images to help the machine learning model learn your aesthetic preferences.
Pros: StarryAI is powered by Stable Diffusion, which is open source and highly customizable. It boasts a large online community and multiple user interfaces.
Cons: StarryAI’s free tier is more limited than ImageFX. Other Stable Diffusion platforms may offer a more robust community base.
Pricing: A limited, free tier lets you make AI-generated photos and illustrations without paying, but there’s a cap on the number of images generated. Pro prices start at $1.99 per week, during which time you can create up to 200 images, while the top tier offers up to 3,000 images per week.
Generative AI by Getty Images
You may know Getty Images as a source of stock images and original photography that gets licensed to some of America’s leading news publications. Thanks to a new endeavor with Nvidia, you can now use Generative AI by Getty Images to produce AI-generated photos and other high-resolution images.
Pros: If you’re looking to create images that look like a stock photo, this AI tool is for you. You can enter specifications like a subject matter or an aspect ratio, and you can further edit photos after they’ve been generated. You can use each image safely, as your Getty subscription will indemnify you from lawsuits.
Cons: If you want unique images or eye-catching web content, the Getty tool may leave something to be desired, particularly compared to DALL-E or Midjourney. Choose Getty for high-quality images that look like photos, and choose another platform to design your brand logo or generate visual content for quirky social media posts.
Pricing: Getty Images is the most expensive platform listed here, with prices starting at $175 for a single image download.
Nightcafe Creator
Like StarryAI, NightCafe Creator uses the Stable Diffusion model to produce its AI-generated images. NightCafe Creator offers a user-friendly interface with a credit system for generating unique images in a variety of artistic styles. Its graphic and photo editor lets you tweak existing images for creative projects.
Pros: With its pre-made templates, NightCafe Creator is easy to use. On the other end of the spectrum, it offers many fine-tuning options that let you turn your initial creation into more images with different attributes. It’s not the only AI image site that uses Stable Diffusion, but of those sites, it has one of the largest online communities for sharing creative projects and finding inspiration.
Cons: NightCafe offers limited control over the generation process compared to some other options, which can place creative boundaries around your project. Its pricing rubric can be expensive for frequent use.
Pricing: NightCafe Creator is free for basic generation, but credits are required for most features. Credit prices vary, so visit the NightCafe site for more details.
Craiyon
Formerly known as DALL-E Mini, Craiyon AI is a free AI image generator that can convert text into creative and humorous visual representations. It doesn’t offer advanced features like a photo editor, but its easy-to-use interface can engender artful inspiration flow for your creative project.
Pros: Craiyon AI has a robust free tier, so you can experiment with an artistic concept or image style without financial risk. This innovative tool is useful for generating unexpected and creative images.
Cons: The image quality is lower than some other options, and the free tier offers limited control over the generation process.
Pricing: Create images for free, or upgrade to a paid plan for as little as $5 per month.
AI image generator FAQ
Can I generate AI images for free?
Yes, you can generate AI images for free with some options like Craiyon and ImageFX, but the features and quality may vary. The most advanced AI image-generation tools require complicated software that costs money to use.
What are the ethical implications of AI image generators?
AI image generators raise ethical concerns about bias, copyright infringement, and the potential for misuse in creating deepfakes. They also remove an element of human creativity from art creation.
How do you write good AI image generator prompts?
To write good AI image generator prompts, be clear, descriptive, and specific in detailing your desired visual elements, context, and style. For instance, instead of writing “bird in its nest,” try writing “oil painting of an osprey in its nest on a summer evening.”
