Technology

Can ChatGPT generate images? Yes it can and we’ll show you how

ChatGPT image generation

Can ChatGPT generate images? With all the various ChatGPT features and models OpenAI has announced in the past year, it’s hard to keep track of what’s actually live and accessible to the average user.

But if you’re wondering about one of the most popular features — image generation — we’re here to tell you that it’s available and free to all ChatGPT users.

In August, OpenAI brought DALL-E 3, its AI image generator model, to all users with a free ChatGPT account. However, there are some limitations. ChatGPT free users can only generate two images per day. But with a paid ChatGPT Plus account, users get unlimited image generation.

Whether you pay $ 20 a month for a ChatGPT Plus membership, or have a free account, the process is the same. Here’s how to do it.

Total Time

  • How to generate images with ChatGPT
What You Need

  • A ChatGPT account on desktop or mobile

Step 1: Create or sign in to your ChatGPT account

Go to Chatgpt.com and create an account — or log in with your existing credentials.

chatgpt login page prompting the user to sign in or create an account
Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / OpenAI

Step 2: Ask ChatGPT for the image you want it to generate

Starting with a prompt like “generate an image of” or “create an image of,” type a description of the image you’re envisioning, such as “dog chasing a tennis ball.” The more descriptive the prompt, the better the results will be. So, include words like “photorealistic” or “renaissance-style” to describe the style of the image, and “chubby corgi” or “sleek greyhound” to describe what kind of dog you want it to depict.

DALL-E 3 generated image of a corgi chasing a tennis ball in renaissance style based on the user's prompt
Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / OpenAI

Step 3: Ask ChatGPT follow-up requests for any adjustments

If you’re not quite getting the image you want, you can give ChatGPT feedback for any adjustments. In this example, let’s say we want the chubby corgi to really portray its feverish desire for the tennis ball, you can type in a prompt like “make the chubby corgi desperately frantic to catch the tennis ball. Include drool and slobber.” ChatGPT will understand the context of your request, so there’s no need to include the original description in the follow-up prompt.

follow-up prompt asking Chatgpt for more description of the corgi chasing a tennis ball, with feverish intensity
Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / OpenAI

Step 4: Download your DALL-E 3 image or keep experimenting

If you’re happy with what DALL-E 3 has created, you can download the image from ChatGPT by tapping the download icon in the upper righthand corner. Otherwise, you can keep prompting ChatGPT for a different image with more detailed description.

dall-e 3 generated image of corgi chasing a tennis ball with the download icon circled in red
Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / OpenAI

Mashable