As generative artificial intelligence (AI) continues to improve by leaps and bounds, so do its image editing capabilities. In the past, photo editing required some level of graphic design knowledge. While being familiar with tools like Photoshop is still helpful, even those with no graphic design experience can easily make enhancements to their pictures. However, for skilled designers, AI can further speed up and streamline the photo editing process, allowing them to get more done in less time.
In this article, we’ll provide seven versatile ways generative AI can be used for image editing. By learning how to use the AI-powered tools currently on the market, you can edit pictures for both work and your personal life to a higher standard of quality.
1. Generating 3D Versions of Images
Generative artificial intelligence has made it easier than ever to convert 2D images into 3D. Whether you’re looking for a 3D profile picture maker or a 3D model creator for marketing visuals, video games or digital artwork, you can find the perfect tool for your needs. 3D graphics help bring images and concepts to life, both for presenting a pitch deck or simply making your portfolio pop.
What’s more, the rise of AI has immensely lowered the costs associated with converting 2D to 3D. In the past, this was a complex process that required advanced knowledge of tools like Blender and SketchUp. Today, even those who aren’t professional graphic designers can easily generate 3D versions of their images that can be used for both business and personal use.
2. Improved Image Quality
Generative AI is quickly becoming the go-to tool for enhancing image quality. There are several strategies it employs to accomplish this, including sharpening, enhancing and denoising images. All these techniques can make pictures appear crisper and clearer, making them more suitable for purposes like posting on social media or being used in online ads.
While adding detail to a picture that wasn’t originally there is a more difficult task, AI can make images appear to be of a higher quality using the strategies we’ve outlined above. If you have pictures that are a bit blurry or too low-resolution for your needs, generative AI is your friend. This can be especially useful for improving old and faded images from decades or even centuries ago, allowing you to get a clearer insight into the lives of your great relatives.
3. AI-Assisted Re-Enactment
Artificial intelligence has made it possible to easily generate images containing the faces of real-life people. When used beneficially, this opens up countless possibilities in the worlds of business, entertainment and education.
While deepfakes often carry negative connotations, the technology used to create them has plenty of positive uses too. For one thing, it’s now possible to create realistic-looking images using the faces of real people. Many of us have seen this used for nefarious purposes, but AI-assisted repurposing can also be used for more wholesome outcomes like online ads, historical re-enactments and animated picture books.
4. Prompt-Based Editing
If you’re looking for a more hands-on way of AI-powered image editing, written prompts can be extremely valuable. While in the past, you would’ve needed to know how to use manual image editing tools to make the desired changes, you can now simply tell generative AI tools like ChatGPT what to do, and they’ll make the changes for you.
Keep in mind that prompting is itself a skill that has to be learned. In order to get AI to produce more accurate, higher-quality edits, you need to learn about the various prompting strategies that generative AI experts have come up with through experimentation. Some common tips include being as detailed as possible, logically organising your prompt and refraining from using ambiguous words. Once you’ve figured out how to prompt AI models effectively, you’ll be editing images quicker than ever before.
5. Creating Variations of Online Ads
Traditionally, online ads required working with a human graphic designer, whether on an in-house or freelance basis. Even making different variations of the same ad often required plenty of work and, therefore, was very expensive. This has made effective digital marketing and mobile advertising prohibitively costly to many small businesses.
Today, generative AI has levelled the playing field. Marketers can now produce multiple versions of a particular ad in a matter of seconds. For example, they can take a particular key visual and create versions with different captions using AI. All these versions can then be run as separate ads to determine what sort of messaging works best. Thanks to the host of AI image editing tools currently available, businesses of all sizes can tweak existing visuals to best serve their purposes without paying expensive fees for graphic designers.
6. Dynamic Filters
Filters have been around even before the popularisation of generative artificial intelligence, but AI has taken them to another level. While traditional image filters could sometimes look a little stilted, AI filters are dynamic, adapting in real time to the subject’s face. They also allow for much more complex enhancements to be made.
AI filters are popular among users of messaging apps like Snapchat. It’s now easier than ever for friends to send each other humorous pictures of themselves as dogs, cats, unicorns or anything else under the sun, thanks to the power of dynamic, AI-powered filters.
7. Facial Retouching
Lastly, AI has made it easier for anyone, even those with zero graphic design skills, to retouch faces in photographs to remove minor blemishes or make slight alterations. This can be particularly helpful if you’re taking pictures on a day when you forget to apply concealer to your under eyes or have an annoying pimple on your nose.
The demand for this particular service has grown to the point that there are now many AI tools specifically designed for facial retouching. Many other, more generalised AI image editing software can also perform the same function. If you’re snapping a few pictures of you and your friends and would like to make some minor adjustments, generative AI has you covered.
AI Image Editing: Easy to Learn & Instant Results
Artificial intelligence has changed the way we write, conduct research and even edit images. These days, it’s possible to make vast improvements to digital photographs in a matter of seconds thanks to the power of generative AI. What’s more, anyone can learn how to leverage AI for their photo editing needs: there are countless online AI courses you can take to hone your skills, even if you have zero prior experience. Learn how to use generative AI in both your professional and personal life to make your photo editing quick and simple.
