In a significant leap for creative AI tools, OpenAI announced on December 17 a powerful new version of its image generation technology. The company has released GPT Image 1.5, a flagship model that now powers ChatGPT Images, marking a substantial upgrade in how users worldwide create and manipulate visuals using artificial intelligence.
What's New in the ChatGPT Images Update?
This global rollout, available to all ChatGPT users and API customers, brings a suite of impressive enhancements. OpenAI promises significantly faster image creation, more accurate editing instructions, and superior preservation of original image details. The core advancement lies in the model's ability to generate images up to four times faster than before while maintaining consistency in crucial elements like lighting, composition, and personal appearance across edits.
Beyond raw speed, the update introduces a dedicated creative space within ChatGPT. This new feature simplifies image exploration by offering users preset styles, filters, and prompts, making the AI art process more intuitive and accessible for everyone.
Precision Editing and Enhanced Creativity
One of the most notable improvements is in instruction-following. When a user uploads a photo and requests a change, the model now alters only the specified element, leaving the rest of the image untouched. This precision enables far more realistic photo edits, believable virtual try-ons for clothing and hairstyles, and cleaner application of stylistic filters.
The model supports a wide range of advanced functions without degrading quality, including:
- Adding or removing elements seamlessly
- Blending and combining different visual concepts
- Transposing objects within an image
OpenAI also highlights the model's prowess in creative transformations and text rendering. It can now add text, adjust layouts, and reimagine visuals while retaining the original's essence. Handling dense, small text has seen marked improvement, expanding its use for practical applications.
API Access: Cost-Effective Power for Businesses
The same technological upgrades are available through the GPT Image 1.5 API, which offers stronger image preservation and brand consistency compared to its predecessor. This makes it a potent tool for commercial applications in marketing, brand design, logo creation, and generating e-commerce product catalogs from a single source image.
In a move welcomed by developers and enterprises, OpenAI has reduced image input and output costs by 20% compared to GPT Image 1. This cost reduction allows businesses to generate a larger volume of images within the same budget. The company notes that startups and enterprises across creative tools, e-commerce, and marketing software are already adopting the new model.
The new ChatGPT Images model is live globally as of December 17 across ChatGPT and the API, with no manual selection needed. The previous version will remain accessible as a custom GPT. OpenAI frames this release as a meaningful step forward, with future updates expected to bring even finer-grained edits, richer visuals, and broader language support.
