OpenAI has significantly upgraded its ChatGPT chatbot, expanding its capabilities beyond text-based conversations to advanced image generation. The company unveiled the latest update on Tuesday, integrating new technology that enables ChatGPT to create highly detailed and complex images based on user prompts.
The new version, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o model, can generate intricate visuals, including multi-panel comic strips with custom characters and dialogue. This marks a major leap from previous versions, which, while capable of image generation, struggled with blending multiple complex concepts into a single output.
The development reflects a broader shift in artificial intelligence, where chatbots are evolving into multifunctional tools. Originally designed for text-based tasks such as answering questions, writing poetry, and generating code, ChatGPT now supports voice commands, images, and even video interactions.
OpenAI first introduced ChatGPT in late 2022, training it on vast amounts of text data from across the internet. While the chatbot initially lacked image-generation capabilities, OpenAI later released DALL-E, a separate tool designed for that purpose. The latest iteration of ChatGPT, however, merges these functionalities into a single, more powerful system that learns from both text and visual data.
Historically, AI image generators have struggled with creating visuals that deviate significantly from existing examples. However, OpenAI claims the new ChatGPT can now handle requests for unconventional images—such as a bicycle with triangular wheels—more effectively.
Starting Tuesday, the enhanced ChatGPT will be available to both free and paid users. Subscribers to ChatGPT Plus ($20 per month) and ChatGPT Pro ($200 per month) will also gain access to OpenAI’s latest AI tools.