Will ChatGPT's new image generator mean the death of your job?

No, OpenAI’s new image generator is not coming for your job.

I’m going to hold your hand while I say this, but y’all need to chill with that narrative. Last Tuesday, OpenAI dropped its latest bombshell: the "most advanced image generator yet," built directly into ChatGPT. Dubbed 4o Image Generation, the tool sparked so much interest that OpenAI’s servers couldn’t keep up.

“It's super fun seeing people love images in chatgpt,” CEO Sam Altman posted on X following the launch. “But our CPUs are melting. we are going to temporarily introduce some rate limits while we work on making it more efficient.” He then limited the free tier to 3 generations per day.

But aside from all of that, there’s a big question looming above the industry like an ominous storm cloud: is this a game-changer for creative workflows, or an existential threat?

The answer is simple: like anything disruptive, it’s both. AI-generated imagery at this scale is bound to shake things up, but whether that’s a blessing or a curse depends entirely on how you use it. So, let’s break it down: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The good

The distance between an idea and a fully realised visual is now measured in seconds, not days. That shift fundamentally changes the psychology of creativity. Suddenly, iterating and refining concepts is no longer a slow grind, but an instant process. This not only makes things happen faster. It makes creativity more playful, more experimental.

The ability to generate high-quality visuals within a single workflow means that more people—especially those who lack access to professional tools—can now execute their vision with greater ease. It’s a serious democratisation of visual storytelling.

There’s also the sheer convenience of it all. Artists, marketers, designers—anyone in need of visuals—no longer needs a convoluted pipeline of tools and expertise. Instead of bouncing between software, everything happens in one place. Whether you’re creating a pitch deck, a storyboard, or a full-blown campaign, AI-assisted imagery is now an accessible resource.

The bad

Of course, not everyone is thrilled. The internet is already up in arms about AI-generated content running rampant. Case in point: the recent Studio Ghibli-style image trend that had people debating the ethics of AI “borrowing” from beloved art styles and AI’s tendency to homogenise creativity. When everyone is pulling from the same well, do we risk a future where everything looks the same?

Then there’s the issue of artistic labor. If AI makes high-quality visuals effortless, what happens to illustrators, photographers, and designers? The reality is that AI isn’t replacing creativity, but it is changing what’s valued. The people who thrive in this shift won’t necessarily be the best technicians. They’ll be the ones who can guide the machine toward something truly meaningful.

The ugly

The real danger here is getting stuck. AI models evolve fast—what seems revolutionary today might be obsolete in a matter of months. If your entire workflow depends on a single tool or ecosystem, what happens when a better model comes along?

Companies eager to cut costs may also take shortcuts. AI-generated visuals might be cheaper and faster. But if brands lean too hard on automation without human oversight, we could see an influx of soulless, cookie-cutter content.

The smartest approach is to stay tech-agnostic.

Use AI as a tool, not a crutch. Don’t rely solely on one model or platform—because what’s cutting-edge today could be irrelevant tomorrow. The people who win in this landscape aren’t the ones who can push the “generate” button the fastest; they’re the ones who know how to direct, shape, and refine AI output into something that actually matters.

In the end, this debate isn’t really about AI, but creativity itself. The tools have changed. The game has changed. But the fundamentals stay the same. Meaningful work still comes from those who know what they want to say. AI just makes saying it faster.

-Sophie, Writer