AI image tools produce impressive results for some tasks and consistently disappointing ones for others, and the difference usually isn't about which tool you're using — it's about what you're asking for.
What they're genuinely good at
- Broad scenes and styles — landscapes, abstract art, stylized illustrations, mood boards.
- Rapid iteration — generating several variations quickly to find a direction before committing to a final piece another way.
- Backgrounds and textures — where exact precision matters less than overall feel.
What still trips them up
- Text within images — signs, labels, and lettering are notoriously unreliable, though this has improved with newer models.
- Hands and precise anatomy — a classic tell of AI-generated images, still an issue in many tools though less pronounced than a couple of years ago.
- Exact, specific detail — asking for "a very particular building with these precise architectural features" tends to produce something close but not accurate, since the tool is generating a plausible image, not retrieving a real one.
- Consistency across multiple images — getting the "same" character or object to look identical across several generations is genuinely difficult with most general-purpose tools.
Getting better results: be specific about what matters
Vague prompts get generic results. Instead of "a cat," try "an orange tabby cat sitting on a windowsill, soft afternoon light, photorealistic." Specify style, lighting, composition, and mood explicitly rather than assuming the tool will guess your intent.
Understand the licensing question before using output commercially
Different tools have different terms about who owns generated images and what you can do with them commercially — some grant full usage rights, others have restrictions or require attribution. Check the specific tool's terms of service before using AI-generated images in anything commercial, rather than assuming all tools work the same way.
Copyright and existing art
Asking a tool to generate something "in the style of" a specific living artist or a copyrighted character raises real legal and ethical questions that are still being worked out in courts and legislation. As a general practice, treat requests that closely mimic a specific artist's identifiable style or reproduce copyrighted characters as something to avoid, not just a technical possibility.
Quick guidelines
- Great for broad scenes, styles, and rapid concept iteration.
- Weak on precise text, exact detail, and consistency across images.
- Be specific about style, lighting, and composition in your prompt.
- Check licensing terms before commercial use.
- Avoid prompts that closely mimic a specific living artist's style or copyrighted characters.