The competition between Image from Google GeminiOpenAI ChatGPTAnd Meta-AI is fierce. After experiencing them individually, I decided to do a side-by-side comparison to really see which is the best AI image generator currently.
With AI-generated images becoming a key part of creative work, each platform has its own strengths. I put the AI models through their paces with a mix of realistic and simplistic prompts to evaluate how different AI models handle various topics. My goal was to determine which AI could generate the most impressive results in five basic categories.
Here’s a look at how each platform performed based on the quality of images generated, and who ultimately came out on top.
Creating prompts
To keep the comparisons fair, I diversified the prompts enough to test each AI’s ability to generate detailed and aesthetically pleasing images. Each of the prompts was tested on the AI’s ability to interpret texture, color, and composition while maintaining a level of creativity. The categories were: food, interior design, animals, vehicles and landscapes, allowing me to explore the full range of their capabilities.
Workflow
I used each platform’s image generation features in their default settings. Although Google Gemini and OpenAI offer premium services, I stuck with their free tiers for this comparison. Imagen from Google Gemini is integrated into Google’s platform and Meta AI delivers images via Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, equipped with DALL-E image generation functionality, delivers rapid results on its unique platform.
After generating images on the individual platforms, I evaluated each image based on its clarity, creativity, and the AI’s ability to capture the intent behind the prompt.
1. Food
Fast: Create a gourmet burger with truffle fries
Google Gemini: The image was visually stunning, with an exaggerated burger and sharp focus on the layers. Each element (bun, patty, toppings) came out with crisp detail while giving the burger an almost heavy, uneven detail, which I find is often the reality of ordering a loaded burger. The fries had a perfect golden hue and the truffle seasoning was visually distinct.
Meta-AI: The image had a larger-than-life look with an extremely meaty burger, strong color contrast and the appeal of melted cheese. The details of the truffle seasoning were incredibly refined and the fries were placed realistically, even more so than the Gemini production.
ChatGPT: This one is obviously desperate to win by throwing in an extra order of fries, but the overall picture was much more artistic, almost painterly. The truffle fries were detailed but less realistic compared to Google and Meta’s version.
Winner: Meta
This was an incredibly tough call between Google Gemini and Meta AI. Both excelled at creating a juicy, gourmet burger that left me hungry for lunch. But I’m ultimately going to choose Meta AI as the winner here because of the incredibly juicy beef patty. It was tantalizingly realistic and the extra cheese helps. The near-photographic result from Gemini and Meta AI was impressive. OpenAI’s image has a creative touch, but the hamburger looked less realistic and almost comical.
2. Interior decoration
Fast: Create the image of a minimalist living room with a large window overlooking the ocean.
Gemini Google Image: The design was elegant, with clean lines but minimal lighting. The ocean view was incredibly realistic, but it almost looks like the living room is floating in the water with an exaggerated perspective of the ocean. Is this lounge on a boat?
Meta-AI: The image captured the minimalist aesthetic but missed some details in the textures and lighting that would enhance the realism of the scene. The water, although close, appears to be separate and not directly off the living room.
ChatGPT: The image was more what I was hoping for: a clear distinction between the living room and the ocean, with bright colors, interesting shapes, and a visually appealing sky. Where the ocean lacked detail, the wall decorations paired with the unique coffee table were welcome touches.
Winner: Meta: Meta AI and ChatGPT knocked it out of the park here, although I ultimately choose Meta AI as the winner because it seemed to best capture the essence of the prompt, including a living room that seems to welcome the view, unlike La row of ChatGPT seats facing the view. Meta AI’s attention to realism has given it an edge in this category, although OpenAI’s creative vision offers a more unique take.
3. Animals
Fast: Create an image of a colorful parrot perched on a tree branch.
Gemini Google Image: The parrot was very detailed, with vivid feathers and realistic texture. The branch details added a touch of natural atmosphere without much background otherwise. The prompt, however, said “colorful” and although this bird was a gorgeous green, I was expecting more vibrancy and color.
Meta-AI: The coloring of this parrot was more what I expected. The well-constructed image was stunning right down to the beak and talons. The leaf in the scene adds to the overall aesthetic.
ChatGPT: The parrot was colorful and artistic, but it lacked the fine details of the feather texture that would make it realistic. It had a more surreal look with an emphasis on bright colors rather than intricate details. The extra touch of background was nice but, like the extra portion of fries, it wasn’t requested.
Winner: Meta: Gemini delivered a very realistic bird perched on a tree branch and ChatGPT generated a bird that seemed to have storybook quality, which appealed to my Disney-loving side. But I’m using Meta AI for this one because it balances realism with the vibrancy and color I expected given the prompt.
4. Vehicle
Fast: Create an image of a futuristic electric car on a city street at sunset
Gemini Google Image: The car looked sleek and modern, with clear, reflective surfaces. The sunset added warmth and the cityscape was detailed with soft lighting effects. The electric charger in the scene was a nice detail emphasizing the electric aspect of the car.
Meta-AI: The design of the vehicle was bold and certainly futuristic. The vibrant colors really made this image pop with the refinement of light and shadow to capture the sunset. The detail of the city street added to the ambiance.
ChatGPT: The design of the car was futuristic but almost too futuristic and the sunset and cityscape were less defined. The sleek road was almost too perfect, giving the image a slightly more conceptual feel than photorealistic.
Winner: Meta: I find it interesting that all the AI models generated a very similar electric car and futuristic scene. So far, these images are the most similar in terms of following the prompt. Meta AI is the clear winner as it combines futuristic design and environmental details, with ChatGPT offering a more conceptual but less realistic view. Gemini comes in a close second, offering plenty of detail and realism.
5. Landscape
Fast: Create an image of a serene mountain cabin surrounded by pine trees and blanketed in mist.
Google Gemini: The pine trees and mountains were detailed, but the cabin seemed dull and uninhabitable, more abandoned than serene. The stark scene looked like a portrait and was believable, but it lacked the mood I was hoping for in the image.
Meta-AI: The mist and the trees are well rendered, even if the cabin gives off a cartoonish atmosphere with the excess ivy and greenery on the roof. The background is what really makes this image stand out.
ChatGPT: The image was ethereal, with the mist exaggerated for a dreamlike effect. The scene had a soft painterly quality that made it feel like a fantasy illustration.
Winner: ChatGPT: I had to keep checking to be sure I hadn’t changed the Meta AI and ChatGPT images. I’m used to ChatGPT generating images with a bit more artistic flair, but this time it was Meta AI that missed the mark with an overly creative interpretation. Google once again excelled in terms of realism, but the big winner here was ChatGPT for ticking all the boxes with its remarkable image.
After testing these five prompts, it’s clear that Google Gemini’s Imagen and Meta AI are the gold standard for photorealistic images that accurately reflect real-world details. Meta AI offers solid performance, generating images with incredible detail and consistency, but tends to be more stylized and can lack the detail refinement that Gemini does so well. ChatGPT, on the other hand, excels at creativity, often providing more artistic or surreal interpretations of the prompts.
Overall, Meta AI was the clear winner, offering good middle-of-the-road options and outperforming other chatbots with realism and better attention to quick details.