DALL-E’s AI art generation is now available for apps

You won’t have to visit a specific website to use DALL-E 2 for much longer. OpenAI has publicly released a beta framework that lets apps and other products use the AI art generator. This includes the natural language descriptions that define DALL-E as well as moderation to filter out hate, gore and similar extreme content. 

A handful of customers are already using the technology. Microsoft’s new Designer app uses DALL-E to create artwork for social media, documents and invitations. The AI image tool is coming to Bing and Edge to help you make art when you can’t find what you need. Cala, meanwhile, is a “fashion and lifestyle operating system” that uses the tool to produce new designs. Mixtiles can use the system to produce one-of-a-kind wall art.

OpenAI is using this launch to further expand your control over your art. You now have full ownership rights to the images you make, not just usage rights — the company is more comfortable handing over control now that its technology minimizes the potential for content policy violations. Whatever you build, you can now organize it into public and private collections. If you make a lot of space-themed pieces, for instance, you won’t have to sift through the rest of your gallery to find them.

The toolkit and increased rights won’t settle the question of whether or not AI-generated art is borrowed or stolen. They may even lead to more friction as DALL-E is used in more places. While companies like Shutterstock are working with OpenAI to sell AI-generated images, others are banning the technology over fears of copyright disputes. It may be a while before app developers can use offerings like DALL-E without some ethical or legal concerns.