Would you believe that this image was created with the click of a button?
Image created by author using neural.love with the prompt "pros and cons of AI image design"
Imagine putting together a presentation for work or school — you're on a tight deadline and need some creative images generated quickly!
AI tools are changing the world. You can now create an image within a few seconds. Using AI for images has drawbacks, such as ethical issues and concerns that AI will take over people's jobs.
Discover the advantages and disadvantages of using AI for images to help you decide if AI image generation is right for you.
What is AI?
You might be familiar with certain AI tools and applications such as ChatGPT or DALL-E for image creation, but you may be asking yourself, what is AI and when did it begin?
In simple terms:
Artificial intelligence is the science of making machines that can think like humans. It can do things that are considered 'smart'.
AI technology can process large amounts of data in ways, unlike humans. The goal for AI is to be able to do things such as recognize patterns, make decisions, and judge like humans.
Image created by author using neural.love with the prompt "AI history on a computer".
AI has actually been around a lot longer than you may think. It started in the 1950s with Alan Turing who wrote a paper called "Computer Machinery and Intelligence" where he suggested a way to see if a computer is smart. He called it The Imitation Game.
Pros of AI for Images
There are several advantages to using AI for image design.
Cost-effectiveness: You don't need to pay an external party to design your images. You can do it all at the tip of your fingers.
Time-saving: Using AI to design your images can save you a lot of time, as you can generate an image in a matter of seconds.
Creativity and innovation: AI image generators may give you ideas you haven't thought of before. If you're sketching a drawing and feel stuck, you can ask AI to generate an image to provide you with more inspiration!
Personalization: AI can personalize images to fit your needs. Just make sure to have a clear prompt — a command for the AI tool that describes the image you want. You can also generate several images to find the perfect one for your project.
Avoid copyright infringements: AI-generated images are copyright-free, so there's no need to worry about searching for copyright-free images for hours anymore. Ideally, it's a good practice to state that an image was created through AI!
Cons of AI for Images
Nothing is perfect! Using AI for image design does have its cons.
Quality issues: Sometimes there can be quality concerns when using AI for image design. It could be that the image doesn't look very realistic or you might notice flaws in your image. For example, if you've ever tried to generate an image, you'll notice that sometimes human hands or faces are blurry or disproportionate.
Over-reliance on AI: If you always turn to AI to solve your problems, you might depend on it, which might reduce your creativity in the long run.
Originality: AI algorithms follow set patterns and use existing data, which can limit their ability to create truly new and groundbreaking designs.
Biases may be present: AI may create unforeseen biases that can generate images that aren't always culturally sensitive. It's always important to watch for this.
Environmental concerns: Experts are concerned that training and running AI systems takes a lot of electricity and computing power, which can affect the climate due to carbon dioxide emissions.
Take into consideration that even though AI can quickly generate images, these images should always be revised and reviewed by a real human to ensure there are no issues!
Quiz
Steven is starting his own business, he needs some images to promote his products on his Instagram. He decides to use AI to generate the images and notices that the hands on the person of the generated image are distorted. This is an example of what?
AI Image Generating Tools
Here are a few AI image-generating tools to give you a better idea of some you can use to explore! There are many more options out there but here are a few examples.
DALL-E 3
This tool is included in the ChatGPT subscription but costs around $20 per month. This is one of the most popular art generators on the market!
Midjourney
Blogs say this tool produces high-quality results! One downside is that you do need to pay for it, but it is still way more cost-effective than hiring a professional to design your images. Check out this Byte on creating images with Midjourney.
Neural.love
This tool is completely free, you just need to create an account. This tool also generates 4 images so you have the choice. One downside is that the images are not always the highest quality especially when it generates human faces.
Openart.ai
This is another free tool that you can experiment with! You do need to create an account for it.
There are so many more tools to try! Check out other AI tools for different purposes, such as coding and education.
Which one will you try?
Photo by Possessed Photography on UnsplashTake Action
Photo by Steve Johnson on UnsplashNow that you grasp the pros and cons of using AI for images, you can discover these pros and cons for yourself:
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