Image Generation AI: Create Stunning Visuals - Tools, Benefits, & Examples
Fotographer AI, Inc.
Published :
October 23, 2024
Generative AI, including ChatGPT, which appeared like a comet at the end of 2022, has made remarkable progress. Among them, image-generating AI is rapidly being utilized in business settings.
This article comprehensively covers the basics of image-generating AI, including what it is and how it works, as well as specific use cases, impressions of using actual services, and challenges when utilizing it.
What is Image-Generating AI?
Image-generating AI is an AI tool that automatically generates images or illustrations based on human-inputted instructions (prompts).
Services using image-generating AI can be broadly divided into the following two types:
Image to image
Generates more refined images or illustrations from rough images.
Text to image
Generates images or illustrations that can be imagined from keywords or text.
Technologies used for image generation include VAE (Variational Autoencoder), GAN (Generative Adversarial Network), TransGAN, DALL-E, and Diffusion.
Although the methods differ, all of them enable image generation from keywords or text.
GAN (Generative Adversarial Network) and Diffusion models are introduced in this article.
Use Cases of Image-Generating AI
Some of you researching image-generating AI may have already seen images generated by image-generating AI in business settings or in your daily lives.
Here are some specific use cases of where it is actually being utilized:
Logo and Icon Creation
The first is creating logos for companies and brands, as well as icons for social media accounts and websites.
Depending on the image-generating AI tool, it can generate several patterns of images and illustrations from a single prompt. If you haven't decided on a design idea, you can complete the logo or icon by making detailed adjustments from among the generated options.
Entertainment Production
The second is the production of entertainment content such as games and manga.
For example, in game production, it is possible to automatically generate various graphic designs such as background designs and characters.
This can dramatically reduce the time, effort, and financial costs associated with devising various designs and creating images in game development.
In manga production, there are also ways to create manga by generating images with AI based on conceived stories and character settings and then connecting them.
Website and Social Media Content Creation
The third is creating content for use and posting on websites and social media.
In website creation, web designs can be automatically generated, allowing you to prepare unique design patterns and display personalized websites tailored to users' preferences.
In content creation, you can automatically generate images for social media posts and blog articles. Since different images can be generated by slightly changing the prompt, the degree of freedom is higher compared to paid stock photos.
Use in the Medical Field
Image-generating AI is also showing potential for use in the medical field.
Specifically, it is being used to synthesize multiple medical images based on similarity for the purpose of protecting patient privacy, or to accumulate progression patterns of medical conditions by having AI learn images that have cleared privacy issues through image synthesis, and to simulate the progression of a patient's condition.
Use in Promotion (CM Production, Product Image Creation)
Finally, it is being used for promotion such as CM production and product image creation.
For example, creating product images has traditionally required time and cost, such as preparing a shooting set or arranging a photographer depending on the situation.
However, the automatic generation of product images by image-generating AI has made it possible to differentiate product image patterns according to customers and make minor adjustments to images such as adjusting the background according to the season.
Advertisements and commercials that actually utilize image-generating AI have already started to be broadcast.
Advantages of Image-Generating AI
So far, we have introduced basic information and use cases of image-generating AI. Here are five advantages of utilizing image-generating AI:
Democratization of Creative Production
The first is the democratization of all creative production.
Until now, design was thought to be done by designers, and website creation by engineers.
These productions required specialized software and expertise, and people or companies without them had no choice but to entrust them to professionals.
However, in the future, anyone will be able to use image-generating AI to create any kind of creative content, as long as they can express the image of the image or illustration they want to generate in words.
In this way, image-generating AI has made creative production one of the processes that anyone can do.
Improved Work Efficiency
The second is improved work efficiency.
Normally, it takes several hours to several days to create images and illustrations, but with image-generating AI, images can be created in a few seconds to a few minutes, allowing you to proceed with work efficiently.
It is also expected that the time saved by streamlining work will allow you to consider ideas that you could not have done before.
Cost Reduction
The third is reducing the cost of image creation.
Unlike humans, image-generating AI can constantly edit and process large amounts of images with high quality.
Therefore, you can reduce the costs that you have incurred each time when requesting designers or specialists, or when requesting revisions.
Strengthening Marketing and Branding
The fourth is strengthening marketing and branding.
Image-generating AI can create logos, icons, CMs, product images, and social media content with high quality regardless of the prompt creator's document creation skills or technical level.
This will lead to clearer messaging and improved visibility in materials, contributing to increased customer attraction and brand awareness.
Expansion of the Range of Expression
The fifth is the expansion of the range of artistic expression.
Image-generating AI has the potential to create new designs and art that the prompt creator did not anticipate. This makes it possible to create visual experiences that have never been seen before.
For example, if you focus on learning Picasso's paintings and contemporary art, you could potentially create a new art that combines these two.
In this way, image-generating AI has the potential to create new art and visual experiences.
Disadvantages of Image-Generating AI
In the previous section, we introduced the advantages of image-generating AI, but there are also disadvantages because it is a technology under development. Here are two of the most representative disadvantages:
Quality is Not Guaranteed
Image-generating AI generates images based on the data it has learned, and the quality of the learning data directly affects the quality of the images. If the learning data contains low-quality images, the generated images may also be low quality.
Even if there is no bias in the learning data, it is possible to generate inconsistent and unnatural images (especially those that are not good at creating details).
Since image-generating AI is still under development, it is recommended to check the quality of the generated images before use.
Few Services Support Japanese
Due to the fact that most services are developed in English, you may not be able to enter prompts in Japanese.
This is thought to be due to the fact that Japanese is more difficult than English and that there are fewer Japanese images.
In this way, the high hurdle of Japanese support can be said to be a disadvantage to the spread of image-generating AI in Japan.
7 Recommended High-Quality Image-Generating AI Services
Next, we will introduce seven recommended image-generating AI services.
Stable Diffusion: Characterized by high-quality image generation and open source. Available for free.
Midjourney: A service that operates on Discord. Excellent for artistic expression.
DALL-E 2 (OpenAI): Enables high-precision image generation with text instructions. Also has extensive editing functions.
Canva AI: An image generation tool integrated into Canva. Smooth coordination with design creation.
Adobe Firefly: Strong integration with Adobe products. Generates high-quality images that can be used commercially.
Leonardo AI: An emerging service that is attracting attention for its high-quality images and ease of use.
Bing Image Creator (Microsoft): A free image generation tool based on the DALL-E model.
Stable Diffusion
https://stablediffusionweb.com/
Stable Diffusion is a service released in 2022 by Stability AI, a UK-based AI development company.
It can be said to be the most famous service due to the high quality of the generated images and the speed of generation.
Stable Diffusion was also the first to take the step of allowing free use and commercial use of generated images. This has led companies around the world to pay attention to image-generating AI.
Midjourney
Midjourney is a service that Midjourney released an open beta version in July 2022 and is still used all over the world today. The image generation procedure is the same as other services, but Midjourney is the only one that requires an account on Discord, an American messaging app.
[2024 Latest] The Official Website Version of Midjourney is Now Available!
Midjourney, which was previously only available on Discord, has finally released its long-awaited official web tool! By being able to access it directly from your browser and eliminating the need for a Discord account, it has become easier to use. In addition, usability has been greatly improved, such as enhanced editing functions. It is now possible to generate creative images as you wish with more intuitive operations.
DALL-E 3
DALL-E2 is a service developed and provided by OpenAI, the company that developed ChatGPT.
As an image-generating AI, it is the only one that can generate images not only from keywords but also from text. ChatGPT has the know-how to analyze large amounts of text data, and this is a unique feature of DALL-E2 that makes use of it.
https://openai.com/index/dall-e-3/
DALL-E 3, which has even greater flexibility and quality, was announced in September 2023 and is now available. Since it can be used directly within ChatGPT, it is recommended for those who are already using ChatGPT.
Canva AI
https://www.canva.com/ja_jp/login/
Canva AI is an AI image generation tool provided by Canva, which provides a free online design platform.
You can start by logging in to Canva and selecting Text to image from within the app. With Text to image, it is possible to output a wide variety of images such as not only simple illustrations and images, but also background image patterns, concept art, and 3D images, which can be said to be a service unique to design platforms.
Canva text to image also supports Japanese.
Adobe Firefly
https://www.adobe.com/jp/sensei/generative-ai/firefly.html
Adobe Firefly is a service that Adobe started providing in March 2023, and is available if you have an Adobe account.
It supports not only image generation from text, but also flexible image editing such as correcting generated images and combining images. In addition, it also takes copyright into consideration, supports Japanese, and is a service that is easy for beginners to get started with.
DreamStudio
https://beta.dreamstudio.ai/generate
DreamStudio is a service provided by Stability AI, the company behind Stable Diffusion mentioned above.
It allows you to use the high-performance Stable Diffusion model with a user-friendly interface, and generate images of various styles from photorealistic images to artistic illustrations. No software installation is required, and it can be accessed directly from a web browser. It also has a wealth of customization options, allowing you to adjust the resolution and aspect ratio to generate the images you want.
NovelAI
NovelAI is a service operated by Anlatan that can generate novels and illustrations.
As the service name suggests, text generation is the main focus, but the image generation that was added in October 2022 has also attracted attention. The biggest feature is the high precision of drawing character illustrations.
Currently, only paid plans are offered, and it cannot be used for free.
Issues and Precautions Regarding Image-Generating AI
Next, we will introduce the issues and precautions when using image-generating AI.
Confirmation of the Authenticity of Output Results
As explained in the disadvantages of image-generating AI, correct images may not be generated due to bias in the learning data or some other influence.
For example, there is a risk that structurally impossible expressions may be created, such as a human with four arms or the position of facial features being out of place.
It is important to find and correct such contradictions in generated images.
Copyright and Portrait Right Infringement Risks
When using image-generating AI, if you use an image with copyright in the learning data, for example, there is a possibility that copyright will also be generated in the image generated by the AI as a result of that learning.
As a solution, it is important to maintain safety and explainability for both learning data providers and AI developers by using copyright-free images for learning or obtaining permission from copyright holders.
Fake Image and Abuse Risks
There are concerns that image-generating AI will be used maliciously to generate fake images. For example, it could be used in fake news articles or for impersonation.
In response to these, it will be necessary to develop legal systems and consider them from an ethical perspective in the future.
Bias in Profit Distribution
As explained so far, learning data is extremely important for image-generating AI.
However, even if creators and rights holders provide works and images as learning data, the value is not being properly returned to them.
For example, if an image-generating AI project that cost 500 million yen generates 1 billion yen in sales, and there are 10,000 data providers in this project, even if the profits are simply distributed, each person will only receive 50,000 yen in profits.
Developing such a profit distribution structure can also be said to be an issue for image-generating AI in the future.
I Actually Tried Using Image-Generating AI
We've covered various aspects of image-generating AI so far, but I'm wondering what it's like to actually use it.
This time, I tried generating images using two services: Stable Diffusion and Canva AI (Text to image). Next, I will introduce the usability of these and the differences in the generated images.
Here, as an example, I will generate an image of a cat flying in the sky.
The prompt is as follows, with features listed based on keywords:
“Aerial photography of city, a flying cat with wing, sunny day”
In Japanese, this is "市街の空中写真、羽のついた空飛ぶ猫、晴れの日" (Shigai no kūchū shashin, hane no tsuita soratobu neko, hare no hi).
Stable Diffusion
In Stable Diffusion, the following image was generated:
Although it is generally as I imagined, I feel that some adjustments are necessary, such as the structure of the left front leg being unnatural and the front legs not being aligned.
As for the usability, I felt that it was relatively easy to use, as it allows you to select the image size and image style (realistic or illustration-like, etc.) outside of the prompt, and takes measures to avoid relying on detailed nuances in the prompt.
Also, the time it took to generate the image after entering the prompt was about 2 minutes.
Canva AI (Text to image)
In Canva AI (Text to image), the following image was generated:
Originally, it is possible to use Japanese, but this time I am using an English prompt to match the conditions.
The image of the city is fine, but there seems to be room for improvement in the drawing of the cat with prompts.
As for the usability, I feel that it is easy to use because you can specify the image size before creating the prompt and save images to the cloud.
Also, the time it took to generate the image after entering the prompt was about 2 minutes, similar to Stable Diffusion.
Summary
Image-generating AI has merits that overturn common sense in work, but it also has issues such as rights issues and uncertainty of output, and it is still a technology under development.
However, technology is advancing day by day, and you can refine the output image depending on the instructions you give, that is, you can train the AI. Please experience the latest technology while using image-generating AI services.
I hope this article has helped you deepen your understanding of image-generating AI even a little.
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