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OpenAI’s GPT Image 1.5: A New Era of Seamless Photo Manipulation

AI Image Generation OpenAI GPT Image 1.5 Google Nano Banana Artificial Intelligence Photography
December 17, 2025
Viqus Verdict Logo Viqus Verdict Logo 9
Convergent Reality
Media Hype 8/10
Real Impact 9/10

Article Summary

OpenAI has released GPT Image 1.5, a new AI image synthesis model that dramatically improves upon previous iterations, particularly in the realm of photo manipulation. Unlike earlier models, GPT Image 1.5 generates images up to four times faster and at a 20% lower cost via API, offering a more accessible and efficient process. The key advancement lies in its ‘native multimodal’ design, processing images and text simultaneously as data tokens—similar to how language models work—allowing for unparalleled control and precision in edits. Users can now seamlessly change poses, adjust angles, add objects, and even alter visual styles through conversational prompts, with an increased ability to preserve facial likenesses. This has sparked a direct response to Google's Nano Banana image model, demonstrating OpenAI’s commitment to maintaining a leading position in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI image generation. The release's timing also reflects a broader trend of decreasing barriers to realistic image manipulation, potentially leading to a cultural recalibration of how society perceives visual images. However, the technology’s potential for misuse, including the generation of non-consensual intimate imagery, remains a significant concern, prompting OpenAI to include a filter to mitigate such outputs. Despite some limitations – including challenges with specific drawing styles and scientific accuracy – the model’s ability to render complex text, as demonstrated with a multi-paragraph simulated newspaper, is a crucial step forward.

Key Points

  • OpenAI’s GPT Image 1.5 generates images up to four times faster than its predecessor.
  • The model’s ‘native multimodal’ design processes images and text as data tokens, enabling highly precise edits.
  • Users can now seamlessly alter visual elements in photos through conversational prompts, preserving facial likenesses and significantly improving editing accuracy.

Why It Matters

The release of GPT Image 1.5 marks a crucial moment in the evolution of AI image generation, lowering the barrier to entry for realistic photo manipulation. Previously, achieving convincing forgeries required significant skill and resources. Now, anyone can, in theory, alter images with simple prompts. This has profound implications for creative industries, content creation, and potentially, even the veracity of visual information – raising questions about authenticity and the reliability of images in a world increasingly saturated with AI-generated content. The competition between OpenAI and Google in this space is accelerating innovation, and the decreasing cost and accessibility of these tools will undoubtedly reshape how we interact with visual media and our understanding of reality.

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