GPT 4o's image update unlocked a huge opportunity most people are ignoring

Mar 31, 2025 - 02:30

0 2

GPT 4o's image update unlocked a huge opportunity most people are ignoring

This is INSANEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Hands down, this is one of the first real AI innovations we've seen this year that lives up to the AI hype.

My bad, I'm getting ahead of myself.

OpenAI just dropped native image generation in GPT-4o, and I don't say this lightly, but...

This ish right here is a game changer (I said that using my best Katt Williams impression). ?

Also: I tried ChatGPT's new image generator, and it shattered my expectations

You don't need professional design skills, expensive software, or even an ounce of artistic talent to produce jaw-dropping visuals. All you really need is your imagination and the right prompt.

Our imagination will soon become AI's biggest limitation. Every new AI announcement makes it clear that creators and marketers will own the future. AI keeps breaking down barriers to entry in nearly every area. No coding skills? There's an AI for that. No design skills? There's an AI for that, too. ?

In this article, I'll bring you up to speed on exactly what this update means, how image generation works and even a money-making side hustle you can launch as soon as today.

If you're new to my work, my name is Lester, but feel free to call me Les. I'm an award-winning performance marketer and chairman of a group of DTC brands. These days, I'm focused on helping everyday people navigate the crowded AI space.

Also: Why you should ignore 99% of AI tools - and which four I use every day

If you're looking for practical and helpful AI tips and tricks, sign up for my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I share AI news, marketing insights, and trends I'm seeing that move the needle.

But enough about me. Let's discuss why all this matters to you. ??

What changed and why it matters

Before jumping into it, let me give you a crash course on image generation.

Image generation takes existing images and gradually adds noise, making the images appear like static on a TV. It then trains by reversing that process, learning how to remove noise step by step until it can reconstruct an image from pure randomness. While learning, the model receives captions that describe each image, like "a cat playing," helping it associate text with visual patterns.

Also: From zero to millions? How regular people are cashing in on AI

Once trained, if you type new words like 'a red car,' the model starts with a noisy image and refines it to match the description.?

Back in the day, and by back in the day, I mean a few months ago, image generation was helpful but still felt like a novelty. Even when the results were decent, you typically needed editing skills to correct imperfections.

Even though image generation was helpful, it could also be frustrating as your output would completely change when you reentered a prompt, making it difficult to iterate and improve. Adding text to an image was nearly impossible as fonts looked like hieroglyphics, words seemed invented, and the text often turned out blurry.

It was a complete mess. ?

Fast forward to today with the ChatGPT update; you can quickly iterate, and janky text is no longer a problem.

While working with the new image generator, two things really stood out to me. First, the consistency when creating and iterating on the same output without changing styles or completely altering the project is outstanding.

Also: 3 lucrative side hustles you can start right now with OpenAI's Sora video generator

Second, the AI periodically asks for clarity while generating images, which I love. For once, I didn't feel like going all Mike Tyson on my keyboard while trying to get my work done.

Dare I say, it was pleasant to work with. Take that with a grain of salt, tho. It's still early days, and it could easily piss me off tomorrow...but I digress. ?

Sure, it's got some solid upgrades, like being faster than other tools and working right inside ChatGPT, plus all the usual good stuff.

But I care more about two things: my sanity while using AI tools and whether the thing works. I couldn't care less about it beating some made-up benchmark. "Does it work?" is my benchmark.

And so far, I'm very, very, very impressed. The power this update gives everyday people is unmatched.

No more waiting on anyone else to bring your vision to life; you can just get on with it. ?

Also: Your customers don't want more AI - here's what to invest in instead

Oh, and I didn't have to pay more to access these features. It's included in the Pro plan.

Here's why this is important. You can now create freely using natural language, and if I'm Adobe, I'm very concerned about where this goes.

GAME CHANGER!!!

How to use AI to start your side hustle

All these advancements are cool, but if you're anything like me, you've got bills to pay. So, while I'm thrilled for Sam Altman and his crew, let's jump straight to the part you care about: how to use all this AI power to launch a profitable side hustle or level up your current business.

I will show you exactly how to go from idea to launch using ChatGPT. If you ever get stuck or feel unsure about any step, guess what?

Just ask ChatGPT, lol. ?

Step 1 - The idea and concept

Reddit and ChatGPT can help you find and validate great ideas quickly. I wrote an in-depth article on exactly how to do that here:

Million-dollar ideas pop up in your feed every day - here's exactly how to spot them

Following those exact steps, I decided to start a skincare line. This idea checked several boxes. It has a high potential for repeat customers and solves a problem that allows me to build a loyal community.

I'm calling it "seL," which is Les spelled backward. Why? Because I'm fancy, duh. ?‍♂️

Step 2 - Product design

Now that we have a solid concept let's work on the design. seL is fancy, so naturally, it has to look the part. Here's the exact prompt I used to create the visual branding for seL:

Create a realistic, studio-quality product mockup of a luxurious skincare brand called "seL." Design the product packaging as a sleek rectangular bottle with a matte, burnt-orange finish, accompanied by a matching rectangular product box. Both the bottle and the box should feature minimalist, sophisticated branding with the text "seL" in an elegant, modern serif font, using black typography. Beneath the brand name, include the subtle phrase "SKIN TREATMENT BY LES" and a playful yet understated tagline at the bottom reading "MADE WITH 100% FANCY INGREDIENTS JUST SO HE COULD PROVE A POINT." The bottle should have a matte black pump dispenser, contrasting gently with the warm burnt-orange packaging. Present both items clearly against a seamless background matching the burnt-orange color of the packaging. Use subtle, even lighting to highlight the matte textures and luxurious branding details clearly and distinctly, with minimal shadows and reflections.

And here are the results:

I bet that got your attention now. Let's keep going. ?

Step 3 - Manufacturing

With the idea and design locked in, it's time for the rubber to meet the road and get seL manufactured. Using ChatGPT Operator, I generated a list of domestic skincare manufacturers. ?

Here's the prompt I used:

Identify an accurate, up-to-date list of 5 reputable domestic skincare manufacturers in the United States specializing exclusively in luxury skincare products. Focus specifically on manufacturers offering premium packaging options, customizable formulations emphasizing botanical and natural ingredients, and proven experience with producing serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and treatment lotions. Present the information clearly in a structured table format including columns for Company Name, Official Website, Email Address, Phone Number, and a Brief Overview of Key Capabilities.

Once I have my list, I can use Operator to contact these manufacturers for me. Full disclosure: You may have to guide Operator to keep things on track, but it's doable even if you're new to AI. ?

Step 4 - Design a website

It's time to make the website. I wouldn't use ChatGPT to build a site from scratch when Shopify exists. However, I do want a custom theme so I can stand out.
For this next step, I'll ask ChatGPT to come up with a few mockup ideas so I can tailor the Shopify theme to my liking.

Step 5 - Marketing campaign

It's GAME TIME. Using ChatGPT, I can develop a marketing concept and ad creative.

Here's the design:

Here's the ad copy I came up with for my campaign. ?

Moisturizer strong enough for the driest places. seL by Les locks in hydration and leaves skin glowing, smooth, and nourished. Treat yourself today and enjoy free same day shipping.

Step 6 - Sales team

But why stop at online sales only? seL should be in stores. Using ChatGPT Operator, I can have AI compile a list of big box retailers in my area.

With this list, I can then use AI to help me craft powerful cold emails to get the buyers' attention.

Also: Could your job be at risk due to AI? Do this before it's too late

I can have Operator assist me with outreach by giving it access to my email and the list of contacts.

Just like that, AI can help us find an idea and bring it to market. ?

This update is way bigger than just making Ghibli art of water bottles and bananas, IYKYK.

Here's why this update is a big deal

Jeff Bezos once said, "Our success at Amazon is a function of how many experiments we do per year, per month, per week, per day."

Before these innovations, you needed a huge budget and team to achieve the same results.

Not only does AI bridge the gap on budget and team size, it bridges another gap people aren't even talking about yet… and that's time.

Also: AI won't take your job, but this definitely will

It's pushing the boundaries of what's possible but doing the impossible quickly. ?

As I said earlier, the real limitation to AI success might be our imagination, not the AI itself.

Limitations and concerns

Now look, while I'm hyped about GPT-4o and all it can do, it's not perfect.

Even though the images are amazing and a gigantic step forward, they're not always spot on. The AI can sometimes get confused, especially with detailed requests. While it's way better than before, we're not quite at instant masterpiece status yet.

Another thing to consider is originality. GPT-4o creates images based on existing data, so similar visuals may pop up. You will still need the human touch to create truly unique content. ?

Finally, there's the elephant in the room: who owns this work? There are genuine concerns about creators getting proper credit and compensation. As AI-generated images become more common, it will get more complicated to know who holds the creative rights or how to fairly recognize the original human creators whose work these AI models learned from.

We urgently need clear rules of engagement. It's essential to determine the proper legislation and safeguards because, at the current pace of AI evolution, what we're doing today will seem primitive just months from now. ?

At some point, we can't keep kicking this can down the road -- feel me?

My two cents

I came at you with a lot today, so I'll leave you with this.

There are two camps when it comes to AI. ?

Camp one focuses on AI's limitations, pointing out flaws as reasons not to take action or as excuses to stick with the old way of doing things.

Let's call them the glass-half-empty crowd.

Then there's camp two, which actively implements AI and takes it for what it's worth today. They don't get too high or too low on the hype.

Also: How to use ChatGPT: A beginner's guide to the most popular AI chatbot

Instead, they steadily chip away, experimenting with new tools and figuring things out as they go. We'll call them the glass-half-full crowd.

I'm not here to debate who's right or wrong or even predict what the future holds as AI has soooooo much hype surrounding it, but that doesn't mean it's not helpful today, like literally right now, as you're reading this. I've gone on record several times, sharing the AI tools I use, how I use them, and how they've improved my workflow. ?☝️

But let's be real for a second. While AI is incredibly useful, it's no magic pill. Intangibles like storytelling, building authentic connections with your audience, and recognizing good creative content will become more valuable.

You'll need to embrace AI alongside these best practices for your venture to thrive.

As I step down from my soapbox, I can't help but feel excited and optimistic about what's coming even though, yes, I still have some concerns about AI.

? Hope this helps.

P.S. If you want more easy and helpful AI tips and tricks, sign up for my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts.

Want more stories about AI? Sign up for Innovation, ZDNET's weekly newsletter.

Go To Source