The 2023 Microsoft Work Pattern Index report, “Will AI Repair Work?,” landed simply weeks after the launch of Bing Picture Creator, a brand new design instrument powered by a complicated model of DALL-E. When it got here to creating artwork for the report, the group noticed a novel alternative to discover how a human artist would incorporate it into their course of. Wouldn’t it assist generate concepts? What prompts could be only? And the way would utilizing AI as a co-collaborator influence the ultimate product?

The artist for the job: Los Angeles-based Jon Han. Han focuses on creating thrilling futuristic worlds with out the same old dystopian tropes. As a result of the report information confirmed that most individuals are longing for AI to assist ease the load of labor, his type felt like precisely the fitting strategy to deliver the findings of the WTI report back to life.

Jon began by feeding prompts into Bing Picture Creator, testing how he might collaborate with it. Utilizing AI impressed a extra iterative strategy than what’s typical, as a result of enjoying round with it was fast and simple. “The method for this undertaking was an experimental one,” he says. “Simply attempting to see what it’s able to.”

Right here, Han takes us inside that course of.

Immediate 1:

Individual wanting on a bridge of panels exhibiting completely different landscapes

Screenshot of Bing Image Creator with the prompt 'Person looking on a bridge of panels showing different landscapes'

Jon Han: In my ordinary course of, I learn a inventive temporary, take into consideration the idea and visualize it in my head. So within the early stage right here, I needed to see how the instrument works with concepting concepts, and distinction that with my ordinary course of. I needed to see how the picture creator would visualize what I’m considering.

You possibly can see that the instrument is utilizing a number of photo-reference pictures, however usually my work is just not as stiff—it’s extra summary. So I began attempting to push it to go to the specifics that I used to be searching for visually.

Immediate 2:

Individual within the foreground + in entrance are geometric panels which are materializing digitally

Screenshot of Bing Image Creator with the prompt 'Person in the foreground + in front are geometric panels that are materializing digitally'

Jon Han: Right here I shifted away from bridges and tried to push for a extra summary picture and a digital impact. I favored the shapes of the panels and the digital really feel. But it surely seemed an excessive amount of like a sci-fi film. I wanted a happier temper.

Immediate 3

Individual within the foreground + in entrance are geometric panels which are materializing digitally + panels come collectively to create a lush panorama

Screenshot of Bing Image Creator with the prompt 'Person in the foreground + in front are geometric panels that are materializing digitally + panels come together to create a lush landscape'

Jon Han: This time, I added in ‘lush panorama,’ which made the picture extra atmospheric, not so darkish and digital. However the temperature of the image was slightly too cool. I put within the phrase “heat,” and it got here out like every thing was on hearth. Very like some other instrument, like Photoshop or oil portray software program, there’s methods to some of these items, the place sure prompts create sure sorts of pictures. So there’s a studying curve to determining find out how to do these minor changes to get the specifics you need.

Immediate 4:

Individual within the foreground + in entrance are geometric panels which are materializing digitally + panels come collectively to create a lush panorama + within the type of jon han

Screenshot of Bing Image Creator with the prompt 'Person in the foreground + in front are geometric panels that are materializing digitally + panels come together to create a lush landscape + in the style of jon han'

Jon Han: This time I added my identify to the immediate to see if it will have the ability to reference my specific type based mostly on my revealed illustrations. Including my identify made the particular person smaller and acquired the fitting viewpoint, seeing the particular person from the again. I do lots of compositions the place I do a small determine in a panorama. But it surely didn’t really feel hyper-referenced to my work, in order that was good.

There are lots of blended emotions amongst artists on AI-generated pictures, issues whether or not these methods may very well be referencing artists’ work with out copyright. I attempted to steer away from something that appears like an artist I do know. However one factor about this instrument, in comparison with different AI instruments I’ve tried, is that it didn’t look like it was referencing somebody’s work. This was a superb endpoint for the concepting stage.

Idea sketch created by Jon Han

Concept sketch of objects representing work and communication in the foreground leading to a figure moving past them and looking out on a peaceful landscape.

Jon Han: After these rounds of experimentation I had a transparent picture in my head of what I needed, so I created this idea sketch by hand. The whole image I needed to create was too advanced to speak to the picture creator. So relatively than deliver AI-generated pictures straight into this sketch, I made a decision to make use of the instrument [or the AI] in later phases to generate choices for specific parts of the illustration, like bushes or sky.

Usually, you may do an web seek for pictures of issues like that, for reference. An artwork trainer as soon as taught me: by no means use the primary few pictures from an web search as your reference, as a result of everybody’s going to make use of these. So with the picture creator, it’s good that these are going to be generated a distinct approach.

Remaining illustration created by Jon Han

A digital illustration of objects representing work and communication in the foreground leading to a figure moving past them and looking out on a peaceful landscape.

Jon Han: Earlier than creating the full-color illustration, I used the picture creator to check completely different sky colours. I additionally tried pixelated bushes and wireframe bushes, searching for one thing fascinating that doesn’t have an excessive amount of of an AI really feel to it. This was all experimentation, discovering limitations, and experiments with management.


Han says that for lots of people, AI picture creators are “type of like a shock field.” In his expertise, they’re most helpful while you don’t know precisely what you need. In a case the place a creator already has the picture they need of their head, a picture generator will be good for iterating particular parts.

We’re solely simply starting to see how next-generation AI can match into the inventive course of, and it’ll definitely look completely different for each artist and creator. From the prompts individuals use to information the instruments to the diploma that AI does—or doesn’t—affect the ultimate product, every thing is up for exploration.