Top stock photo site gets AI image generator
>
Artificial intelligence has made its way into Shutterstock, the popular Stock photo company disclosed.
The text-to-image AI generator is now available on the website – accessible from the Image drop-down menu. Users can add written prompts, with the AI delivering “larger-than-life, ethically-made images that are ready for licensing,” according to Shutterstock.
The launch comes as artists and rival stock photo site Getty Images prepare for it take legal action against generative AI studio Stability AI.
Artificial intelligence
Shutterstock applauds the new generative AI tool, powered by OpenAI, as easy to use and accessible to everyone.
Users can create unique images from a single word or longer sentences – although in testing the tool we found it’s best not to get too complicated with prompts. It’s still technically in beta, after all, while the company has reaffirmed its belief that users shouldn’t “learn how to write long, complex prompts to take advantage of this technology.”
Once created, users can fine-tune images using a photo editor or through the site’s Create tool, an image editor built for those with no experience with graphic design software.
The main target audience is businesses and organizations, with Shutterstock highlighting its potential uses content marketing campaigns. However, the company is well aware of the controversies surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in art – and, presumably, in an effort to refute allegations of copyright theft – and is promising an ethical approach.
Note that it is the first to support a “responsible AI generation model”, the Adobe Stock alternative will pay artists for any contributions used to generate the images.
The commitment follows comments made when the initiative was first unveiled in October 2022, when Shutterstock made it clear its intent was to protect the intellectual property rights of the platform’s artists, photographers, and creators.
“Our easy-to-use generative platform will change the way people tell their stories – you no longer need to be a design expert or have access to a creative team to create exceptional work. Our tools are based on an ethical approach and on a library of assets that represent the diverse world we live in, and we ensure that the artists whose work has contributed to the development of these models are recognized and rewarded,” said Paul Hennessy, CEO of Shutterstock.
- You can try the generator now, but you need a subscription to download images. Click here (opens in new tab).