Like web search, image generation is a staple feature of AI chatbots. To start, I tested how well the chatbots could make photorealistic images without errors or distortion. I used the following prompt in Gemini (3 Pro/Nano Banana Pro), ChatGPT (GPT-5.1), and Copilot (GPT-5): “Generate me an image of a cozy suburban home with an open floor plan. I want to see a nice living space with a dining room, kitchen, and living room. Nothing too fancy.” Below are the results from Gemini (first slide), ChatGPT (second slide), and Copilot (third slide):
Gemini generated its photo the fastest, and its result is the most detailed and realistic. Even with all its details, the image limits errors and distortion to small instances in the background that you might not notice without close inspection. ChatGPT’s image has similar imperfections, but it’s far less detailed, looking more like a stock photo. Copilot’s image can’t compete with Gemini’s detail, either, and it features a distracting number of ceiling light fixtures.
Next, I tested the chatbots’ ability to generate complex illustrations: “Generate me a six-panel comic of a high fantasy world where magic users have assault rifles instead of wands or staves, but you’re going to spice it up: I want the magic users fighting robot knights wielding swords and shields. Make sure there’s a major twist by the final panel.” Here are the results from Gemini (first slide), ChatGPT (second slide), and Copilot (third slide):
Once again, Gemini blows the competition away: Gemini’s comic has the highest-quality art, includes ample legible text, and features a cohesive twist at the end. ChatGPT’s image has generally disappointing art, doesn’t include text beyond a single word, and its twist in the final panel (if you can even call it one) doesn’t make much sense. Copilot’s comic doesn’t impress because of all the visible distortion, but it does manage to include a twist.
My final test was to generate a technical diagram with the following prompt: “I’ve got an Ethernet switch, a modem, and a router. I want to connect my PC, PlayStation, smart light hub, and smart TV via Ethernet. I want the modem to connect to the router, and then the router to connect to the switch. Then, I want the switch to connect to the devices. Generate me a diagram showing this.”
All three chatbots generally do a good job with this prompt, except for ChatGPT’s misspelling of “PlayStation” and Copilot’s repeated “Smart TV” text. However, Gemini still has the best image overall. Apart from avoiding errors and distortion, it includes the most accurate and detailed graphics, as well as some nice touches, such as small icons next to each item.
Image Editing: Gemini Goes From Strength to Strength
Beyond image generation, Gemini can also do AI image editing. Simply send Gemini a photo and describe the edits you want. AI-edited images often look distorted or obviously AI-generated, but Gemini generally doesn’t have these problems. You might encounter some blurriness in image edits, however.
I asked Gemini (3 Pro/Nano Banana Pro), ChatGPT (GPT-5.1), and Copilot (GPT-5) to remove my hand from an image I provided in testing. You can see the original image (first slide) and the results from Gemini (second slide), ChatGPT (third slide), and Copilot (fourth slide) below:
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No chatbot handled my prompt perfectly. Gemini stood out for its ability to match the original image’s aspect ratio, which ChatGPT and Copilot couldn’t do, even after specific prompting; however, its image appears a bit blurry. Copilot’s image is particularly disappointing, thanks to its overall graininess. ChatGPT’s image is the sharpest of the bunch, but it didn’t have to generate as much because it essentially just cropped out most of my hand.
Editing goes beyond making simple alterations to images. AI chatbots can also blend images, for example, if you want to add an image of a particular object to the background of another image. To test this feature, I took a picture of my kitchen, and then provided an image of a table and some chairs from Amazon. Next, I prompted the chatbots to add the chairs and table into the photo of my kitchen, making it look as realistic as possible.
Once again, no chatbot did a perfect job. However, Gemini’s image (first slide) shows the least distortion and actually makes an attempt to light the chairs and table appropriately. ChatGPT’s (second slide) and Copilot’s (third slide) chairs and tables don’t look as natural. Copilot’s image, in particular, suffers from a significant amount of distortion.
Unlike ChatGPT, Gemini doesn’t integrate directly with Adobe Express and Photoshop. Still, you can prompt Gemini to adjust the same aspects (brightness, contrast, saturation, and more) of an image with just as good (or better) results.
