Think about your most recent interaction with online customer service. When you got answers to your query, were they provided by a human or a machine? It’s increasingly hard to tell, thanks to the advent of AI chatbots built with natural language processing. But artificial intelligence goes further than that. Machines can now create content that mimics the work of human artists. This includes producing still images, logos, videos, and musical compositions.
Here’s a primer on using generative AI, including a list of the market’s top generative AI tools.
What is generative AI?
Generative AI is a branch of AI focused on creating new content, like text, images, music, and even videos. You can think of generative AI technology as a creative partner that can help you brainstorm ideas, generate creative outputs, and refine your existing work. A generative AI model goes beyond the work of a standard AI chatbot. It can create content that it was never explicitly programmed to generate, thanks to the power of machine learning.
Even though a generative AI tool can produce human-like responses to questions—along with other creative output like images or music—it’s inaccurate to say that AI technologies possess human intelligence. AI-powered tools simply use machine learning to mimic human behavior, using the training data they are fed. Generative AI solutions are actively transforming the creative content marketplace, but the machines are far from having human-level reasoning.
How do generative AI models work?
Generative AI models work in two stages: pattern recognition and content creation. Here’s a rundown of both.
Pattern recognition
Generative AI tools typically are large language models trained on massive datasets of existing content. Some are also trained on massive amounts of visual data, which enables art generation with remarkably detailed imagery. This training data could be anything from books and articles to paintings and symphonies. By analyzing these examples, the AI learns the underlying patterns and relationships within the data.
Content creation
Once trained, the generative AI model can use its knowledge to create entirely new content. It does this by predicting what should come next in a sequence, whether it's the next word in a sentence or the next brushstroke in a painting.
Top generative AI tools
- Text-based tools
- Image and video tools
- Code and design tools
- Music and audio tools
- Other generative AI tools
The best generative AI tools will not only boost productivity, but they will also provide you with genuinely useful content that you can showcase on your website or marketing campaigns. Here are some of the top generative AI programs you can use as a content-generation tool:
Text-based tools
GPT-4 (ChatGPT)
This generative AI software from Open AI offers a powerful large language model that anyone can use for free. GPT-4’s generative AI capabilities include AI code completion for software development, text generation for writing, and image generation via its DALL-E software. ChatGPT automatically uses your responses to train the model, though you can opt out of this in the settings.
Advantages: GPT-4 ably handles natural language queries, which makes it excellent for creative writing. It can also generate software code from natural language prompts, providing code suggestions with context awareness.
Pricing: A limited version, GPT-3.5, is free, while full-featured paid plans start at $20 per month.
Google Gemini
Formerly known as Bard, Gemini is a content generation tool developed by Google. Its key features largely overlap with those of ChatGPT. They include multiple creative writing formats plus the ability to translate languages and fine-tune results using text inputs. (Note that Google has folded an older product, Duet AI, into the Gemini ecosystem.)
Advantages: Gemini integrates with other Google products, including Google Search and Google Workspace software. Google has invested a lot of money in AI innovation, which makes Gemini a promising candidate for large improvements over time.
Pricing: Gemini is free to use, but Google is in the process of rolling out a pay-as-you-go model for power users.
Claude by Anthropic
Claude is a business-focused AI platform developed by Anthropic. Compared to other generative AI models like ChatGPT, it has similar functions, whether that’s generating prose or writing code in various programming languages. It can process both text and photo inputs and won’t use your responses to improve the model unless you give the company permission. Anthropic makes a point of publishing its safety protocols.
Advantages: The platform focuses on ethical and secure content generation, making it a strong choice for business use.
Pricing: Claude is free for limited usage. Claud Pro costs $20 per month.
Copy.ai
Copy.ai focuses on online marketing, including email campaigns, blog content, and social media posting. It lets users focus on either sales goals or marketing goals, providing text generation for both purposes. It offers multiple copywriting templates, plus content localization options.
Advantages: Copy.ai sports a user-friendly interface. Its clear business focus makes it ideal for generating marketing copy and social media content.
Pricing: Copy.ai offers a free plan with limited features, with paid plans starting at $36 per month when you pay for a year upfront.
Shopify Magic
Shopify Magic uses information you provide to generate suggestions for content such as product descriptions, email subject lines, and headings in your online store. You can transform the background of product photos and create text for a professional looking ecommerce store. Shopify Magic provides you with the tools you need to create your product descriptions and help you get your store up and running fast.
Advantages: Shopify Magic is integrated with your Shopify platform, so all you need to do is use it. Shopify is dedicated to releasing additional AI-powered tools, like Sidekick, to help entrepreneurs with everything to do with running a commerce site.
Pricing: Included in the price of the Shopify platform.
Image and video tools
Midjourney
Midjourney enables users interested in dreamlike, artistic images to make them from simple text descriptions. If you want to generate images that are somewhat outside the box, like space-age AI avatars or surrealistic comic books, you can type some simple text descriptions into Midjourney’s prompt window and watch the program get to work.
Advantages: Midjourney is an excellent tool for concept art outputs, thanks to its varied artistic styles and robust user control. It offers a robust online community where users share creations and prompts.
Pricing: Midjourney starts at $10 per month for a limited number of generations. Plans can be as pricey as $120 per month, with other options in between.
NightCafe Creator
Powered by the open-source Stable Diffusion model, NightCafe Creator lets you conjure up AI-generated images using plain conversational English. It also lets you upload images from your computer and create new artistic works in the style of those uploads.
Advantages: NightCafe publishes a gallery of highly regarded AI art made on its platform. You can use these visuals as creative fodder when generating images of your own.
Pricing: NightCafe Creator is free for basic generation, but you’ll need to purchase credits to generate images faster and with more user control.
Synthesia
Synthesia focuses on video, not still images. Using its powerful technology, it lets you create realistic videos with AI-powered avatars. You won’t fool anyone into thinking real humans are in your videos, but you can nonetheless create some whimsical filmed marketing materials.
Advantages: Synthesia AI videos offer real-time text-to-speech with lip-syncing for a very competitive monthly rate. The images, while not photorealistic, look polished and professional.
Pricing: Pricing starts at $22 per month, which covers most core video creation features.
Code and design tools
Tabnine
Tabnine is an AI coding platform that emphasizes total code privacy, best-in-class code generation, intuitive code suggestions, and highly competitive pricing.
Advantages: Tabnine generates context-aware code suggestions, with professional-grade code quality. Its many programming languages help it seamlessly integrate with popular IDEs (integrated development environments) including IntelliJ, Android Studio, VS Code, Webstorm, AppCode, and more.
Pricing: Plans start at $12 per month after a generous 90-day trial period.
Automata
Automata takes content in one format and uses it to generate new content in another. For instance, this AI tool can take videos you’ve made and repurpose their content into newsletters. Or, it can take your blog posts and turn them into social media entries. This helps you leverage the maximum value from the work you create.
Advantages: Automata is a hands-off tool that generates content for you, allowing you to focus on other endeavors. Yet all the material it produces stems from the content you initially upload, thus preserving your creative voice.
Pricing: You pay by credit, with the option to bundle 50 credits in a month for $32.
Music and audio tools
Jukebox
Jukebox is another Open AI offering that does for music what ChatGPT does for text and DALL-E does for generating images. Jukebox uses the power of neural networks to create royalty-free music from conversational text prompts.
Advantages: Jukebox lets you generate realistic music in various styles based on text prompts. It may one day mimic human composers as well as ChatGPT mimics natural conversations.
Pricing: Currently free, but only available with limited public access.
Soundraw
Soundraw is an audio generation tool with an extremely accessible user interface (UI). It lets you generate musical compositions based on inputs like genre, mood, and theme. It then uses synthetic data to produce your requested sounds. You’ll license the composition from Soundraw, but the license is free and runs in perpetuity.
Advantages: Soundraw is very easy to use, even if you have no musical background.
Pricing: Soundraw pricing runs from $16.99 to $49.99 per month.
Other generative AI tools
Murf
Murf is an AI voice generator. Its key features include text-to-speech tools, voice cloning, AI dubbing, and AI translation tools. You get multiple voice options, with many ways to use them, from audiobooks to software narration.
Advantages: Murf’s voice generation sounds remarkably like real people.
Pricing: Murf works off a freemium model, with full-featured paid plans starting at $23 per month.
Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI is a data visualization tool designed for business. It empowers individuals and organizations to transform their own data analytics into graphics. You get access to a rich library of interactive charts, graphs, and other visualizations that represent your data analysis. Just as DALL-E excels at generating images, Power BI excels at producing reports, graphs, and other business-centric documents.
Advantages: Power BI seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft products like Excel and Azure, enhancing workflow efficiency. And a robust online community provides support and guidance for fellow users.
Pricing: Power BI has a free (but limited) desktop version. Paid plans start at $10 per month.
Generative AI tools FAQ
What is an example of generative AI?
ChatGPT is an example of generative AI. It takes user text prompts and generates creative output.
How can businesses use generative AI tools?
Businesses can use generative AI tools to automate tasks, create fresh content, and gain new insights from data, among other things.
Are generative AI tools free?
Some generative AI tools are free, including those from Google. Others have free options, but most functionality lies behind a subscription paywall.
