Is ChatGPT’s New Image Generator Actually Any Good

Remember those age-old sayings like “Be careful what you wish for,” “Be yourself,” or “Be happy with what you have”?
If you’ve seen Ruby Sparks (2012), a romantic fantasy film, you’ll understand why those sayings still resonate.

In the movie, Calvin Weir-Fields, a young author, writes about his dream girl, Ruby Sparks. Then, in a fantastical twist, Ruby comes to life exactly as he imagined. What starts as a perfect relationship soon spirals as Calvin begins rewriting her behavior, quite literally, by typing changes into his manuscript. The story explores creativity, control, and the consequences of getting everything you wish for.

Sounds a bit like modern AI tools, doesn’t it? Particularly OpenAI’s ChatGPT image generator. With just a few lines of text, users can create realistic or artistic images on demand. While it can’t conjure living people (yet), the tool’s capabilities feel just as surreal—and magical. It's a strong reflection of how far generative artificial intelligence has come in turning imagination into reality.

So, how well does it actually perform? We put it to the test.

Powered by GPT-4o: What Makes It Different?

This new image generation tool is powered by GPT-4o, OpenAI’s latest multimodal model released in March 2025. It enables users to generate detailed, high-resolution visuals in various styles—photorealism, anime, pixel art, 3D, surrealism, and more.

Even better? It’s built into ChatGPT itself, meaning you don’t need third-party tools or deep technical know-how. Just describe what you want in plain language, and the model does the rest. You can even edit images after generating them.

But enough with the specs—let’s see it in action.

Test 1: Left-Hand Logic?

Prompt: A photorealistic image of a left-handed businessman writing in a file, with a New York skyline backdrop. Add a coffee cup and desk plant.

Result: It nailed the setting and props—but the businessman used his right hand. Even with “left” mentioned twice, the model reverted to its old habits. A curious index finger on the other hand hinted at some confusion in execution.

Test 2: Scenic Getaway

Prompt: A holiday scene with a person standing in a multicolored flower field, mountains and lake in the background, wearing flip-flops and vibrant futuristic sunglasses.

Result: The visuals were lovely, though the sunglasses seemed to deform the person’s face—specifically the nose. The AI interpreted “futuristic” quite literally. A follow-up edit request (“add more flowers, remove sunglasses, change backpack color”) worked well, with a minor color mismatch on the backpack.

Test 3: Collage for Tech Use

Prompt: A collage featuring autonomous vehicles, AR/VR, robots in surgery, and spatial AI in agriculture and retail.

Result: It delivered a surprisingly usable collage. A few blending issues aside, it interpreted terms like “surgical process” and “inventory management” well. Also, some gender balance was evident—score one for inclusivity.

Test 4: Cartoon Remix

Prompt: Garfield (or a similar character) in front of the Statue of Liberty, rendered in six art styles including cartoon, oil painting, and Cyberpunk 2077.

Result: Due to copyright, Garfield became a “humorous orange cartoon tabby cat.” Still, the resemblance was uncanny. Cyberpunk and watercolor styles stood out, though pixel art was debatable.

Test 5: Business Infographic Test

Prompt: Infographic for “4 Trends Defining the Future of B2B Marketing,” complete with header, subheader, and icons.

Result: ChatGPT got the layout and text right but struggled with dimensions—larger images got cropped. After a few prompt adjustments, the final version included smart icons and clear labeling, though it still missed some stylistic elements like logos and taglines.

Test 6: Café Branding Attempt

Prompt: A flyer for “Sunny By The Sand,” a beach café known for pies and coffee. Include pricing, a tagline, and a rugged/smooth logo in blue, yellow, and green.

Result: ChatGPT responded with clarification questions about layout and tone (portrait, playful, minimalist, etc.). The generated design captured a chill, beachy vibe and even designed a neat logo—though the café’s name was repeated, and the tagline placement could’ve been cleaner.

A follow-up request for a 4-section collage with specific content and layout didn't go as smoothly. The logo from the previous day couldn’t be recreated, and new variations emerged—illustrating one of the tool’s limitations: image consistency over time.

Final Thoughts: Is It Any Good?

ChatGPT’s image generation tool proves to be a powerful, accessible design assistant for marketers, entrepreneurs, and creatives. While it has occasional misses—like hand orientations, logo consistency, or misinterpreting vague phrases—it shines in its versatility and ease of use.

For users with free accounts, the daily limit (3 images) and occasional delays are something to note. However, given its ability to generate high-quality visuals, editable elements, and various art styles, it’s a worthy tool for quick concepts or even polished graphics.

Whether you’re designing café flyers, infographics, or fantasy landscapes, ChatGPT’s image generator is a glimpse into the future of creativity. Now, go ahead and give it a spin—and maybe share your favorite outputs in the comments below!

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