OpenAI’s New Image-Gen Tech Is Now Available for Businesses, and Some Are Already Using It

OpenAI just made its latest image generation model—the one that sparked a viral internet trend of Studio Ghibli-inspired memes—available for software developers to integrate into their applications and products. OpenAI first introduced the image generation model, named gpt-image-1, as a feature in ChatGPT in late March. In just its first week of release, according to OpenAI, 130 million users created over 700 million images with gpt-image-1. The new model boasts several improvements over Dall-E, OpenAI’s earlier family of image-generation models. The most obvious improvement is the model’s ability to accurately render text; previous models struggled to generate text, and would usually return images of gibberish, but the new model is much more accurate and can create clear, legible text. While much of the attention that gpt-image-1 received was due to its ability to simulate anime, it can also create realistic textures, edit parts of an existing image, and create images in various aspect ratios. According to OpenAI, several businesses were given early access to gpt-image-1, including Adobe, which will offer the model within its suite of products, and Airtable, which is using the model to offer auto-translation of marketing materials. Other companies experimenting with the model include Canva, which is using the tech to transform sketches into “stunning graphic elements,” and HubSpot, which is “exploring how OpenAI’s new AI image generation capabilities can help customers create marketing and sales collateral.” On X, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote that the API version of the model also enables developers to set their own moderation sensitivity level. If you don’t want your application to create images of people in bathing suits, for instance, you can adjust the moderation levels. The API also allows developers to control how much the model prioritizes speed versus quality when generating a new image, if the background is transparent or opaque, and the dimensions of the image. OpenAI says that in practice, developers will pay $0.02, $0.07, and $0.19 per generated image for low, medium, and high-quality square images. More information about the API’s pricing scheme can be found here. For businesses looking to expand their creative marketing options without breaking the bank, OpenAI’s new model could be a game-changer. BY BEN SHERRY @BENLUCASSHERRY