The 3 Best AI tools for image generation: Which one leads the market?

Artificial intelligence is advancing at an incredible speed across nearly every aspect of our lives. While we’re still far from it taking over the world or wiping out humanity, it can already generate images based on our specific prompts—and quite impressive ones at that.

We set out to discover the best AI tools for image generation. Check out our findings below!

We compared three of the most popular AI platforms to test their image generation capabilities against specific criteria.

• Of course, our first choice is ChatGPT – the first and most well-known commercial AI created by OpenAI.
• The second contender is Microsoft’s Copilot.
• The third one is Gemini from Google, which has been generating high expectations.

We asked each AI to create images based on specific prompts, then compared and rated the results.

The results are impressive, with each AI earning top marks. Especially when you consider how challenging it would be to create unique and realistic images like these on your own…

Pizza Margherita

Task 1: "Create an image of a freshly baked Margherita pizza on a stone slab."

In our assessment, Google’s AI produced the most realistic image, fully meeting our criteria and giving the impression of a genuine photograph. Gemini scores 3 points.

While ChatGPT’s generated image is also impressive, the visuals from the other two AIs appear just slightly more lifelike. Copilot earns 2 points, while ChatGPT scores 1 point.

Logo for a Bakery

Task 2: "Create a logo for a bakery called 'Mafinery,' specializing in muffins, cakes, and other sweets. The logo should be unique and recognizable."

It seems that logo design is not AI’s strongest suit. Microsoft’s Copilot produced something resembling a logo—clean and well-presented, but it missed the mark in capturing exactly what we were after.

ChatGPT generated a vintage-inspired logo, which isn’t bad but still needs refinement, while Gemini performed the weakest on this task.

ChatGPT and Copilot each earn 2 points, with Gemini receiving 1 point.

Sandy beach

Task 3: "Create an image of a beautiful sandy beach with turquoise water."

For this task, Gemini produced the most realistic image, earning 3 points. While the other two images were more detailed, they felt artificial compared to the natural quality of Gemini’s. Copilot scored slightly better than ChatGPT, earning 2 points, while ChatGPT takes 1 point.

Unicorn

Task 4: "Create an image of a unicorn. It’s important for the image to be realistic, so it’s hard to tell whether it’s AI-generated or an actual photo."

Since unicorns aren’t real (or at least no one’s managed to photograph one yet), our expectations were modest. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the results.

Copilot’s image was fantastic, though it leaned toward illustration and felt more suited for a children’s book, which wasn’t the intent. It lands in third place with 1 point.

The remaining two images were well done, with subtle differences determining the winner. ChatGPT takes second place with 2 points, and Gemini wins first place with 3 points for a more realistic feel.

Forest

Task 5: "Create an image of a forest captured at sunrise."

We expected this task to be straightforward since AI relies on large data sets to generate new content. If there’s an ample source of related images, like forest photos, it should easily produce something original.

But when data sources are limited, results may suffer, a shared trait between AI and humans: both perform best with experience or data.

Gemini again stood out with the most realistic image, looking like an actual photograph, earning 3 points. ChatGPT came in second with 2 points, while Copilot finished third with 1 point.

Leonardo da Vinci’s sketch

Task 6: "Create an image of a spaceship styled like a Leonardo da Vinci sketch on paper."

ChatGPT excelled in this task, fully meeting the brief with a realistic sketch that could easily fool experts, earning a bonus point for exceptional performance and totaling 3 + 1 points.

Gemini came in second, producing a strong but less detailed image that diverged slightly in style from Leonardo’s sketches, scoring 2 points. Copilot finished third with 1 point.

Best AI tools for image generation

Based on our assessment, the final ranking for image generation capabilities is as follows:

• 3rd Place: Copilot with 8 points
• 2nd Place: ChatGPT with 12 points
• 1st Place: Gemini with 15 points

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Boldizar S. Santo (Co-Founder)