You type in a few words. Press generate. A few seconds later you see a dragon on a bicycle riding in Tokyo. That is not magic, it is math. Crazy complicated mathematics, yet mathematics. This is what is really happening. Millions of labeled images are used to train these tools. As time passes, the model understands patterns - textures, lighting, and vintage aesthetics. When you enter a prompt, it generates something based on those learned patterns. It is not so much drawing as it is very confident guessing.
The difference between excellent performance and average performance? ImgEdit It is prompts. All so very ugly, yet true. Gets you a cat gets you a cat. A grumpy orange tabby on a rainy windowsill in oil painting style gives you something special. Crafting prompts is a real skill - even a paid profession.
Various tools approach this differently. Some tools focus on photorealism. Others excel in illustration or concept art. Certain tools allow reference images and modifications, such as turning them into dinosaur versions. The difference is huge.
One common misunderstanding: these generators do not think. They are not aware of your meaning. They are not aware of anything but what you said. Request a man holding a light and you could have a man holding a flashlight, a candle or a featherweight glowing ball. The tool is not flawed, you left too many possibilities open.
The big issue no one wants to address is copyright. Who owns AI-generated images? The law is still catching up. There are those that assert rights and those that give them out to the users. Before monetizing, read the terms carefully.
The speed is astonishing. Work that needed hours of artistic effort can now be done in seconds. That does not mean that artists are bad. It is simply another type of instrument, such as the typewriter to a keyboard.
Create mood boards, quick prototyping, book covers, game art, social media art. Its applications are growing rapidly. You no longer need to be a designer to bring ideas to life visually. That transformation is still settling in.