OpenAI Launches GPT-Image-1 Model for API-Based Image Generation

Following the explosive popularity of image generation in ChatGPT, OpenAI has released its latest visual AI model—gpt-image-1—to the API, giving developers and businesses direct access to advanced image creation tools. This move expands the reach of OpenAI’s multimodal capabilities, unlocking new possibilities across industries from design to e-commerce.

High Demand Fuels New API Release

OpenAI first introduced image generation in ChatGPT just last month, with over 700 million images created by more than 130 million users in the first week alone. Now, the same underlying technology—optimized for rich visual outputs—is available for integration via the Images API.

Gpt-image-1 can generate professional-grade images across a wide variety of styles, follow detailed instructions, accurately render text, and incorporate world knowledge into its creations. These strengths make it a versatile engine for real-world applications in product design, branding, education, marketing, and more.

Industry Leaders Begin Adopting the Technology

Several major companies are already exploring ways to embed gpt-image-1 into their platforms:

• Canva is experimenting with transforming rough sketches into polished design elements and enabling intricate visual edits through Magic Studio.
  

• GoDaddy is piloting image generation for logo creation, background removal, and brand typography. Through its new GoDaddy Airo® experience, the company is also working toward enabling customers to generate social media posts and marketing assets that reflect their brand identity—all from a simple prompt.
  

• HubSpot is evaluating the model for marketing and sales collateral, enabling users to create social graphics, email marketing images, and landing page visuals without needing design expertise.
  

• Instacart is testing image generation for recipe and shopping list visuals.
  

• invideo is integrating the model to enhance video creation with improved text-to-image generation, granular control over edits and enhanced stylistic guidance.

Safety and Moderation Controls

OpenAI has built safety into the foundation of gpt-image-1. The model includes content safeguards similar to those in GPT-4o’s image system and embeds C2PA metadata into every image. Developers can also manage moderation strictness using a moderation parameter, with default, low, or customized sensitivity levels.

Importantly, OpenAI does not train on customer API data, and all usage is subject to the company’s API policies.

Pricing and Access

The API uses a token-based pricing model:

• Text prompts: $5 per 1M tokens

• Image inputs: $10 per 1M tokens

• Image outputs: $40 per 1M tokens

These rates typically translate to roughly $0.02 to $0.19 per image, depending on quality and size. Full pricing details are available in OpenAI’s documentation.

Developers can get started by accessing the model through the Images API, with broader availability coming soon via the Responses API. Some organizations may need to complete a verification process to enable usage.

To explore what the model can do, developers can try it out in the Playground and follow the step-by-step Image Generation Guide for best practices and integration tips.

What This Means

With gpt-image-1 now accessible through the API, OpenAI is extending powerful creative tools to the broader developer ecosystem, enabling rapid innovation in visual content generation. From AI-powered design assistants to dynamic marketing tools, this release lowers the barrier to producing high-quality visuals at scale.

This also marks a significant step toward mainstream adoption of multimodal AI in enterprise and consumer applications. Developers can now build richer, more intuitive user experiences that combine text and image generation seamlessly—opening new creative workflows and reducing the need for separate design tools.

As visual AI becomes more embedded in everyday software, the line between human imagination and automated execution grows thinner—and the future of design may soon be prompt-first.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.