If you’ve been keeping an eye on the world of tech, art, or simply listened to someone talk about the rise of smart algorithms, you’ve probably heard about AI art. But what exactly is it, and what’s fueling the craze?
It all boils down to a new form of innovative tech: Artificial intelligence (AI) image generators.
To keep it simple, these tools use machine learning algorithms to bring creative visuals to life based on textual prompts. Image by image, each platform is reshaping art as we know it, providing exciting new ways to generate eye-catching artwork, design striking graphics, and even make witty memes.
But the best way to understand these developments is to see them in action.
In this blog, we’ll dive into some of the most popular and versatile AI image generators available today, including DALL-E2, Midjourney, Bing Image Creator, Photosonic, StarryAI, and Stable Diffusion.
So, whether you’re a seasoned artist, an aspiring designer, or simply someone with a knack for visual creativity, these tools have the potential to inspire and take your artistic projects to the next level.
Key Takeaways:
- DALL-E2: Known for generating versatile and high-quality images with advanced developer tools.
- Midjourney: Specializes in vibrant visuals, with accurate rendering of human hands and support for repeating patterns.
- Bing Image Creator: Microsoft’s simple and user-friendly platform, offering stunning visuals for personal, non-commercial use.
- Photosonic: Allows users to experiment with different art styles, despite its somewhat cartoonish output.
- StarryAI: Excels at creating fantasy-style visuals, particularly nightscapes, for free commercial use.
- Stable Diffusion: Renowned for its photorealistic images, this generator is perfect for those seeking lifelike results.
AI Image Tool Review
DALL-E2: Redefining Artistic Expression
As one of the most well-known innovations in the world of AI art, DALL-E2 has redefined the boundaries of artistic expression ever since it first released in January 2021. Published by the research organization OpenAI, this cutting-edge AI image generator offers users an unparalleled platform for creating fascinating images.
All it needs is a text prompt to generate any kind of visual, and its powerful abilities make it one of the most popular generators on the internet. In fact, you’ll probably recognize another AI technology created by the same developer: GPT-4.
Don’t worry: DALL-E2 is no less impressive than its writing-focused sibling.
Thanks to its range of advanced developer tools and options, both beginners and industry professionals can customize their creations and experiment with different styles and techniques. DALL-E2 also offers scalable image resolution, which means you can resize your generated images without compromising their quality.
Since its creation, DALL-E2 has gained significant traction, with over 1.5 million active users worldwide. This huge popularity can be attributed to the tool’s impressive capabilities and ease of use, which have made it the go-to choice for those seeking original and high-quality AI-generated art.
Midjourney: A Visual Odyssey
Though newcomers might face a slightly tougher learning curve, Midjourney can produce vibrant, eye-catching images that make it worth getting used to.
Following its first public beta in July 2022, the image generator has gained popularity for its ability to accurately render human hands, support repeating patterns, and offer high-resolution images that look great on any screen—and it’s only improving with each new version of its machine learning algorithms.
The process for accessing the tool is also much simpler than other platforms, which will usually ask you to install a program on your computer or sign up for an account. To explore new art and design concepts with Midjourney, all you need to do is join a Discord server—an online chat and text service that most tech enthusiasts are already well acquainted with.
One of Midjourney’s most exciting features is its ability to display real-time previews of artwork, which means you can tinker with your inputs as you’re writing them for more accurate results (which look something like this: “/imagine a lake covered in flower petals”).
Once you’ve found the perfect input, the bot will generate four unique images. Newcomers get up to 25 images for free, and will need to sign up for a premium account to continue using it after.
Still, the investment is worth it for those who plan to keep utilizing the AI art tool. As part of its active community, members can exchange ideas, seek inspiration, and showcase their artistic progress with other creatives in the Midjourney Discord server.
Bing Image Creator: Microsoft’s Foray into AI Art
Powered by DALL-E, Microsoft’s Bing Image Creator is a user-friendly AI image generator that produces images in a flash. With a Microsoft account, you can access this generator and create stunning visuals for personal, non-commercial use.
The generator grants first-time artists up to 100 free images and supports basic customization abilities, but the real “wow” factor lies in its smart algorithms’ ability to create unique imagery. No matter what type of prompt you input, you can expect to receive something that blends human creativity with the unexpected beauty of artificial intelligence.
Thanks to its easy-to-navigate interface, using Bing Image Creator isn’t too different from the other options on this list: simply plug in a prompt and its smart algorithms will make your vision come to life—usually in no more than 15 seconds.
While you can expect to receive a high-quality 1024×1024 square image based on your command, keep in mind that there aren’t a whole lot of advanced options to tinker with. For instance, you can’t alter image dimensions or determine how accurate they are to the prompt you provided.
Photosonic: Art in Every Style
Powered by the same machine learning algorithms behind Writesonic, Photosonic is another exciting AI art tool that lets users test out their first 15 credits with a free trial. Designed for professional designers, hobbyists, and everyone else in between, Photosonic truly has something to offer anyone hoping to satisfy an artistic itch.
Yes, the platform has faced some criticism for its tendency towards cartoonish results, but Photosonic’s premium service more than compensates for this by providing a range of opportunities for visual experimentation.
Photosonic’s user-friendly interface also ensures that your creative journey won’t be interrupted by any janky tools or unresponsive features. You can even specify which style you’d like your images to be based on (like “Anime”, “3d”, “Illustration”, and “Fantasy”, to name a few), and choose between 512×512, 768×512, and 512×768 dimensions.
So, whether you’re designing a logo, crafting a quirky social media post, or just want to see what the tool might surprise you with, Photosonic is another great choice for your next creative project.
StarryAI: Painting the Night Sky
Designed for artists who want images that look like real drawings, StarryAI excels at producing fantasy-inspired visuals—especially nightscape images. And unlike some of these other web-only options, StarryAI’s tool is available on iOS and Android devices, making it possible to create on-the-go. Each download even comes with 25 free images!
Since the platform is mainly focused on providing accessible, high-quality artwork for everyone, StarryAI’s generated images come with the added advantage of being free for commercial use. This makes the tool a must-have for businesses, content creators, and artists who plan to use their visuals for multiple uses.
And that’s not all: Creators can test out over 1,000 styles, “bulk create” images, upscale their results, and plug in custom sizes to ensure every element of their vision is brought to life.
Pretty neat, right?
Stable Diffusion: Photorealism at Your Fingertips
Stable Diffusion is an AI image generator that’s most popular for creating photorealistic images, which offer a glimpse into the powerful future of digital art. It might take some tweaking to achieve the perfect results, but this free, web-based generator offers an impressive range of possibilities.
In addition to its jaw-dropping visuals, Stable Diffusion boasts an intuitive interface that welcomes users of all skill levels. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a budding artist, the platform invites you to unleash your creativity and delve into the world of AI-generated art.
That being said, you will need a PC or a laptop with a decent GPU to run the tool, but the results are worth it: Try turning screen grabs of pixelated video game graphics into realistic images, create magazine cover concepts for your favorite fictional character, and anything else you can think of!
A teeny note: Stable Diffusion’s Image dimensions are restricted to 512×512, but for a free open source tool, that’s not too bad of a compromise.
Final Thoughts
It’s clear that AI image generators are transforming the creative world, providing unlimited artistic possibilities for creators to experiment with.
For anyone who’s interested in art or just seeking an entertaining way to create one-of-a-kind images, these AI-powered tools provide all the options you need to ignite your creativity—even if you’re lacking inspiration. Still, this list only scratches the surface of AI art platforms, as more advancements are being worked on and released every month.
As the technology continues to evolve, it’ll be fascinating to see the ways it influences and expands the realm of artistic expression. Who knows, maybe we’ll even have AI art museums in the future!
So, how do you think AI will change the creative world next?