18: Shutterstock AI Image Generator

Shutterstock has dived head-first into AI-generated content, unlike some of its stock service contemporaries. The company started facilitating the sale of AI content late last year and inked a deal with DALL-E creator OpenAI. To access the generator, users need to sign up for Shutterstock. While you can use the service to download images, those without a subscription still need to pay for each generated image, so it’s hard to call it truly “free.” So, despite the images being somewhat better quality than others, that’s why it’s ending higher up on the list.

Shutterstock released its DALL-E 2-based AI image generator last year. The service generates four images at about 500×500 pixels, which is pretty sizable compared to some of its competing platforms. Users can set the output between five separate “styles” to make the generated image look “3D” or more like a digital photo.

Like all the other generators in this list, I used the most basic output possible and received a few surprising results. The system generated several rather interesting Under the Pendulum Sun-inspired images, though like all AI image generators, it clearly has problems with straight lines and latticework. The system took obvious inspiration from picture book style for its multiple renditions of A Memory Called Empire. It could almost be considered artistic, save for the misplaced arm and awkward shadow running along the woman’s back.

Another consideration is how Shutterstock claims it is using contributor’s photos and images to train the AI. The company has promised to compensate contributors whose images train the AI through a so-called “Contributor Fund.” Image contributors receive a “share” of the pie based on how many images they’ve uploaded to the site.