PROMPT ENGINEERING
The rise of AI-generated imagery has revolutionised how businesses, creatives, and organisations approach visual content creation. Tools like DALL·E, MidJourney, and Stable Diffusion have captured the imagination of industries worldwide, enabling users to generate complex and high-quality visuals with a single prompt. Yet, despite the enormous strides in AI technology, creating imagery using AI generators is far from effortless.
The Evolution of AI Tools
Just a few years ago, AI image generation tools were rudimentary and prone to generating unrealistic, distorted, or generic imagery. Today, tools like DALL·E and MidJourney have become much more sophisticated, capable of creating visuals with remarkable attention to detail, lifelike textures, and stylistic variety.
Improvements over Time
While AI image generation tools may seem intuitive, the processes behind them are extraordinarily complex. Models like DALL·E and Stable Diffusion are trained on millions, even billions, of images paired with text data. This training allows them to “understand” the relationship between textual descriptions and visual outputs.Despite these advancements, challenges like bias in datasets, limitations in creativity for niche or highly specific tasks, and the inability to perfectly mimic certain artistic styles remain barriers to widespread adoption. Recent improvements include;
- Higher Resolution Outputs: Early AI generators produced images that were often low-resolution and lacked polish. Modern systems can generate 4K-quality images that rival professional photography.
- Increased Creative Versatility: AI models now offer broader creative control, enabling users to specify artistic styles, lighting conditions, and even the emotional tone of an image.
- Faster Generation Speeds: What once took minutes or even hours can now be accomplished in seconds, thanks to improved algorithms and hardware optimisations.
The Complexity of AI Image Generation
Whilst this training allows them to “understand” the relationship between textual descriptions and visual outputs, the key challenges lie in:
Training Data Quality and Volume
Training cutting-edge AI models can take months on advanced hardware. State-of-the-art GPUs and TPUs are required, along with fine-tuning processes to refine the model’s ability to meet specific needs. For example, training a model for business-grade video or imagery can take anywhere from 6 to 18 months, depending on the level of customisation required.
Model Training Time:
Training cutting-edge AI models can take months on advanced hardware. State-of-the-art GPUs and TPUs are required, along with fine-tuning processes to refine the model’s ability to meet specific needs. For example, training a model for business-grade video or imagery can take anywhere from 6 to 18 months, depending on the level of customisation required.
Prompt Engineering Complexity
Crafting the perfect prompt for an AI tool requires skill. A poorly worded or vague prompt can result in subpar images, while a well-designed prompt can yield incredible results. This has led to the emergence of “prompt engineering” as a critical skill, particularly for organisations that want to use AI tools effectively in business communications.
Applications in Business and Organisational Communications
For businesses and organisations, AI-generated imagery is an exciting prospect. From marketing campaigns to social media content, AI tools can reduce costs and speed up production timelines. However, ensuring that the imagery is polished, relevant, and aligned with brand values requires significant expertise.
Key Points
Training AI systems for specific use cases—like creating video content or generating visuals tailored to a specific industry—requires time, financial investment, and expertise. Key challenges currently are listed below.
Learning Curves
- Understanding the tools and their capabilities
Customisation Needs
- Adapting generic AI models for unique business contexts
Consistency in Branding
- Ensuring AI-generated visuals match brand guidelines.
How TBF can help you prepare for the future
As these advancements unfold, individuals and organisations need to equip themselves with the skills and knowledge to stay ahead. Mastering the art of prompt engineering, understanding the limitations of AI tools, and learning to leverage their creative potential will be essential for success.
At TBF, we offer educational programs designed to demystify AI tools and empower users to excel in this rapidly evolving field. Our courses include:
- AI Prompt Engineering for Image Generation
- AI Research and Implementation for Businesses
- Responsible Leadership & Ethics for Management
- Improved Model Precision
- AI Business Model Mapping
- Email us: info@tbf.ie
AI Business Model Mapping
An article on our recent AI research and education programmes was recently featured in The ICMCI industry white paper “Navigating the Future: A Guide to AI in Management Consulting today.” It’s published by The International Council of Management Consulting Institutes Zurich, Switzerland. You can read about AI adaption and innovation, risk and its application in the complexity of work. There is also an overview of how the regulations are evolving in locations such as the UK, China, Japan and Brazil.
