We Tested OpenAI’s Image Generator—The Results Are Wild

You may have heard of the 2006 thriller anime series, Death Note, where writing a person's name in a notebook twists the path of their fate—a few words altering the fabric of reality. Well, not to spoil it, but people whose names end up on the book's pages cease to exist anymore. Yes, the anime a bit dark and dystopian, but hear us out!

Imagine having something like the Death Note, but for far more creative purposes. Instead of people vanishing, you could bring new stuff into existence. Your words could bring the most thought-provoking visuals to life. Wouldn't that be awesome? Even L (also known as Ryuzaki from the series) would feel this intellectual thought, right?

Well, that's exactly what OpenAI’s latest 4o image generator does. Except, this time, no one's going away—unless you count your creative block!

We're sure you may have noticed everyone buzzing about OpenAI's new 4o image generator, especially with the studio Ghibli anime-style image recreations. It has overtaken the latest Avengers: Doomsday casting reel debate that we’re seeing on Instagram. Oh, the hype is everywhere. (Also, RDJ is back in Marvel Cinematic Universe!)

So, coming back to OpenAI's 4o image generation, does it live up to it?

To answer that, we decided to put it through its paces. We’re talking a deep dive into its capabilities—from artistic flair to photorealistic detail. Did it nail it, or did it faceplant? This article is all about that review.

Let's get started!

Our Test Results Using OpenAI's 4o Image Generator (With Prompts!)

So, we put OpenAI's 4o image generator to the test to see what it could really do. Here's what we found out!

Test 1. Artistic Style Test

First up: artistic styles. We asked it to create cityscapes in the style of Van Gogh. The results? Pretty cool!

Prompt: “Generate an image of a city skyline at night painted in the style of Van Gogh.”

Result:

The result definitely captured that swirling, vibrant feel. It's not exactly Van Gogh, but its close enough, right? Seems like the 4o image generator has a decent grasp of art history.

Test 2. Realistic Scenes And Photorealism

Next, we wanted to see how realistic it could get. Could it create images that look like actual photos?

Prompt: “Generate a realistic photo of Times Square at night, showing a large crowd of people and bright neon lights from theaters, restaurants, and billboards.​”

Result:

The results seemed almost there. The above image is surprisingly realistic, sort of almost unsettlingly so. However, the AI weirdness seems to be present, slightly off proportions and textures of the faces in the image that weren't quite right, even the street seems non-New Yorky!

You see, a study titled "Seeing is not always believing: Benchmarking Human and Model Perception of AI-Generated Images" reported that humans misclassified AI-generated images 38.7% of the time, emphasising that the uncanny valley effect is still very real.

Test 2. Text-In-Image

This is where things got interesting - for us, at least. We know how previous AI models struggled with text-based images. Could the 4o do better?

Prompt: “Generate an image of a coffee shop flyer that says ‘Brewed Fresh Daily at Sunrise Café’.”

Result:

As you can see, the text was legible and made sense perfectly. Honestly, we didn’t expect it to get the vintage vibe so right either. The flyer looked like something we could actually pin up on a real-world café wall—textured background, that warm beige tone, the retro coffee cup...even the font choices felt on-brand. This totally seems like a huge improvement over the previous version of DALL-E 3!

Test 4. Complex/Fantasy Visual Compositions

In this test, we threw some curveballs. We asked it to create complex, fantastical scenes.

Prompt: “Generate a robot chef juggling pizza dough while a cat in a chef’s hat watches in a busy kitchen.”

Result:

This is where the 4o image generator really showed its potential. It was able to combine multiple elements into coherent, imaginative images. You know, OpenAI's livestream showed that it is slow, but the generated images are worth it.

Test 5. Creative Fantasy + Sci-Fi Scene

This test asked the 4o to visualize something quite imaginative. Sure, it seemed like we didn't clearly have a picture in our heads, but then again, the AI model didn't fail to amaze us when it came to visualizing what we had in our heads. Here's what we prompted it to generate.

Prompt: “Generate a floating island with waterfalls, futuristic towers, and a sunrise in the background.”

Result:

This one turned out pretty awesome! The floating island looks straight out of a futuristic sci-fi movie, with waterfalls pouring off the edge and disappearing into the clouds. The towers also have a cool, futuristic vibe, showing that they belong to a place way ahead of our time.

And the sunrise adds a warm, peaceful glow that brings the whole scene to life. It’s wild how something so random in our heads can turn into detailed imagery. Another win for OpenAI's 4o image generator!

Test 6. Business/Marketing Scenario

This one's for our business readers, so don't miss this test. Here's what we asked.

Prompt: “Generate an image of a professional-looking blog header for an article titled ‘The Future of Remote Work’”

Result:

Although very simple, the image perfectly captures the essence of remote work. It shows a woman calmly working on a laptop with a big window view, soft lighting, and minimal distractions—exactly what you'd expect in a clean blog header. The bold title “The Future of Remote Work” sits right on top, and the whole design feels neat, friendly, and professional.

No clutter, no overwhelming elements—just a straight-to-the-point visual that gets the job done. It’s the kind of image you’d happily plug into a newsletter, a blog, or even a company presentation slide, and the best part? It took just one line of text to generate.

Now, the above were a few examples of this new image evolution from OpenAI, but what does all this mean? Well, the 4o image generator is definitely a grand step up. Although it's not perfect yet, the Ai model is capable of creating some pretty accurate, detailed and well, amazing, images.

However, how does OpenAI's 4o stack up against the competition? Let's find out!

OpenAI's 4o Image Generator Against Midjourney And Others

So, how does OpenAI's new 4o image generator actually compare to the competition? Here are the findings based on a prompt we tested with its competition: Midjourney and Flux Dev.

Prompt: "Generate an image of an abandoned modern hospital waiting room, empty rows of chairs, flickering fluorescent lights, crumpled paper cups, no people, eerie silence, realistic, 16:9"

Results:

Tool	Image Output
OpenAI (4o via ChatGPT)
Midjourney (v6)
Flux Dev

Based on the above images (plus, what users have reported), here's our conclusion:

Feature	OpenAI 4o	Midjourney v6	Flux Dev
Text Rendering	✅ Excellent	❌ Poor	⚠️ Average
Prompt Accuracy	✅ High	✅ High	✅ High
Artistic Style	⚠️ Conservative	✅ Cinematic	⚠️ Controlled
Ease Of Use	✅ Simple (chat)	⚠️ Discord-based	❌ Dev-focused
Speed	⚠️ Moderate	✅ Fast	⚠️ Varies
Best For	Content, blogs	Art, storytelling	Sci-fi, design

The verdict? Here's a quick breakdown:

• OpenAI's 4o keeps things structured and safe—it gives you something professional, with decent accuracy, great text handling, and fewer surprises.

• Midjourney v6 (apart from the 16:9 ratio goof up) is all about drama and mood—it’s bold, cinematic, and often more emotionally intense.

• Flux Dev is clean and functional—less flair, more form. It feels like a mix of realism and precision.

So, is OpenAI's 4o the best image generator out there? Not quite, as it totally depends on what you're looking for. According to some users, the new AI image generator offers high-quality results at just a penny per image.

So, if you want something quick, easy, and relatively accurate, it's a great choice. It's like ordering takeout—convenient and satisfying.

However, if you need ultimate control and customization, you might prefer something like Midjourney or Flux Models. It ultimately boils down to convenience versus customization. So, what's more important to you?

TechDogs' POV: OpenAI's 4o offers a balance of user-friendliness and capability, making it a strong contender in the AI image generation space. However, users should be aware of its limitations, particularly regarding style and potential visual anomalies.

Speaking of limitations, let's get into the specifics of what you can and cannot expect from the 4o image generator. Scroll on!

Limitations To Keep In Mind While Using OpenAI's 4o Image Generator

While OpenAI's 4o model is pretty impressive, it's not perfect. Like every AI art tool on the market, it has its quirks and limitations. So, let's take a look at what you need to keep in mind:

• Content And IP Restrictions: OpenAI has strict guardrails and won’t generate images that resemble known brands, characters, or copyrighted content—even for harmless use. If your prompt hints at something recognizable, it’s likely to get blocked.

• AI Glitches Happen: Occasionally (however, less frequently now), the model outputs odd results like extra limbs, distorted faces, or strange object placements. While these quirks can be amusing, they remind us to always review images before using them publicly.

• Resolution Isn’t Always High-End: While ideal for digital use, the image quality may not hold up for large-scale print or detailed design work. Fine details can get fuzzy on closer inspection, so keep that in mind.

• Out-Of-Frame Rendering Issues: The AI can sometimes leave objects cut off or incomplete around the edges, especially when generating wide or complex scenes.

• Generation Speed Is Slow: Image generation can take up to 30 seconds or more per image, as unlike some competitors, OpenAI's approach prioritizes quality over speed. In fact, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, said there is an overload on their GPUs (enough to melt them down!) due to the viral Studio Ghibli-style image generation used by millions of users.

  

So, is OpenAI's 4o the ultimate Generative AI (GenAI) solution?

Well, we definitely think so (for now), despite a few limitations that need attention. Just be aware of its drawbacks, and you'll be able to create some pretty wild stuff. 

Wrapping It Up

So, there you have it! We tried OpenAI’s image generator, and wow, what a ride it was. From creating stunning sci-fi visuals to stirring up serious debate about artistics styles and copyright implications, this AI image generation tool is definitely making waves.

Sure, it’s not perfect—sometimes it gets a little too creative for its own good, like the time it gave a cat four ears, but hey, that’s part of the fun, right?

If you haven’t tried OpenAI's 4o generator yet, give it a go. Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility—so maybe don’t use it to create a meme about your boss!

(Or do, we won’t judge!)

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ChatGPT 4o Have Image Generation?

Yes, ChatGPT 4o includes advanced image generation capabilities. It allows users to create high-quality visuals directly within the chat interface by providing descriptive prompts. ​

Can ChatGPT Generate Images?

Absolutely. ChatGPT can generate images based on text prompts using its integrated image generation feature, producing a wide range of visuals from artistic illustrations to photorealistic scenes. ​

How Do People Generate AI Images?

People generate AI images by inputting descriptive text prompts into AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, or Stable Diffusion. These models process the prompts and create corresponding images, enabling users to visualize concepts, create art, or design graphics based on their descriptions.