Anyone that interacts with news media on a regular basis would be familiar with Shutterstock, since it is the premier source for stock images on the internet along with Getty Images and Adobe Stock. Many consider it to be a linchpin for the entire publishing industry, with countless MNCs and SMEs utilizing it to boost their web presence and refine their marketing campaigns.
For a time, it seemed like Shutterstock’s place as the center for stock images was secure, but then came AI. Generative AI like Midjourney has put Shutterstock at risk of becoming obsolete, and with its competitors like Adobe releasing their own GenAI tools, the clock started ticking on the company to innovate or die.
The main issue here is that customers might not feel the need to pay for stock images when they can just create their own. That’s why Shutterstock decided to integrate DALL-E 2 to offer a new AI based editing tool that can give it a competitive edge.
Instead of putting the tool behind a paywall, Shutterstock is thinking long term by offering it to free trial users as well. Users can take images from Shutterstock’s massive library of around 750 million pictures and use the AI to make any changes they need. This essentially transforms its sizeable but ultimately finite library into a limitless source of imagery.
One of the new features that will come with the AI editor is the Magic Brush, which allows you to erase any elements that you don’t need. You can also add new elements, or you can just use the Variations tool to get new versions of the same image automatically. The third feature worth mentioning is called Expand, which not only broadens the image but also reveals other details generated through AI.
Smart Resize can help compensate for any accidental missteps by adjusting the image to any dimensions you specify. With the Background Remover, users can make the foreground all the more visible, and even replace the background with something that makes the image more in line with their goals.
Finally, the AI Image Generator piece-de-resistance of this entire suite. It uses DALL-E 2 to create images based on user prompts, but perhaps most importantly, these images will be ethically generated. This implies that only copyright free works were used to train the algorithm, which can put certain concerns to rest.
Read next: Meta Explores AI-Generated Facebook Profile Pictures and Posts
For a time, it seemed like Shutterstock’s place as the center for stock images was secure, but then came AI. Generative AI like Midjourney has put Shutterstock at risk of becoming obsolete, and with its competitors like Adobe releasing their own GenAI tools, the clock started ticking on the company to innovate or die.
The main issue here is that customers might not feel the need to pay for stock images when they can just create their own. That’s why Shutterstock decided to integrate DALL-E 2 to offer a new AI based editing tool that can give it a competitive edge.
Instead of putting the tool behind a paywall, Shutterstock is thinking long term by offering it to free trial users as well. Users can take images from Shutterstock’s massive library of around 750 million pictures and use the AI to make any changes they need. This essentially transforms its sizeable but ultimately finite library into a limitless source of imagery.
One of the new features that will come with the AI editor is the Magic Brush, which allows you to erase any elements that you don’t need. You can also add new elements, or you can just use the Variations tool to get new versions of the same image automatically. The third feature worth mentioning is called Expand, which not only broadens the image but also reveals other details generated through AI.
Smart Resize can help compensate for any accidental missteps by adjusting the image to any dimensions you specify. With the Background Remover, users can make the foreground all the more visible, and even replace the background with something that makes the image more in line with their goals.
Finally, the AI Image Generator piece-de-resistance of this entire suite. It uses DALL-E 2 to create images based on user prompts, but perhaps most importantly, these images will be ethically generated. This implies that only copyright free works were used to train the algorithm, which can put certain concerns to rest.
Read next: Meta Explores AI-Generated Facebook Profile Pictures and Posts
