Shutterstock will now let you transform real photos using AI

Shutterstock will now let you edit its library of images using AI. In an update on Thursday, Shutterstock revealed a set of new AI-powered tools, like Magic Brush, which lets you tweak an image by brushing over an area and “describing what you want to add, replace or erase.”

The AI image editor is still in beta and will also let you generate alternate versions of a stock or AI-generated image as well as expand the background of an image. Additionally, Shutterstock is rolling out a “smart” resizing feature that will automatically change an image’s shape to match your required dimensions, along with an AI-powered background removal tool.

Shutterstock notes that it will compensate artists “if their images are licensed after editing.” However, it adds that “AI-generated or edited content” will not be eligible for licensing on the site “to further ensure the protection of contributor IP and proper compensation of artists.”

“This is an unprecedented offering in the stock photography industry,” Shutterstock CEO Paul Hennessy says in a statement. “Now, creatives have everything they need to craft the perfect content for any project with AI-powered design capabilities that you can use to edit stock images within Shutterstock’s library, presenting infinite possibilities to make stock your own.”

The company also announced that it’s going to update its AI image generator, which it launched in beta in January, with the latest version of OpenAI’s DALL-E text-to-image generator. Shutterstock expanded its partnership with OpenAI in July, allowing DALL-E to train on Shutterstock’s library for six more years. Last year, Shutterstock announced a contributor’s fund to compensate artists whose work is used for training.

In addition to Shutterstock, other companies, like Adobe and Canva, are getting into AI-powered image editing. Last month, Adobe launched its Firefly generative AI tools for those who subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Express, and Adobe Experience Cloud. As part of its launch, Adobe announced a new annual bonus scheme that it will pay to artists who allow their stock submissions to be used to train the company’s models. Canva similarly rolled out a trove of AI-powered design tools in March that users can use for free.