Could Grok's Aurora Replace Costly Stock Images?

X (formerly known as Twitter) is entering the AI image game with its brand-new generator, Aurora, powered by the Grok chatbot (an example is this post's image). This launch puts X alongside the big players: OpenAI’s DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, and Midjourney. 

It's hard to keep up with the entire AI image space, but Aurora has some pretty impressive capabilities. Aurora is scary good at generating hyper-realistic images.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s going on:

Stop-and-Go Launch: Aurora was briefly introduced, pulled back, and then reintroduced. This on-and-off approach got everyone buzzing about whether Aurora is truly ready for prime time.

Who Can Access It?: You can access it for free right now, but to access some additional features, you'll need to be a Premium or Premium Plus subscriber. 

What Does This Mean for Stock Image Subscriptions?

Aurora could definitely chip away at the need for pricey stock photos if it delivers consistently high-quality images. Marketers, content creators, and entrepreneurs might find generating unique visuals easier (and cheaper) on the fly. 

I foresee employer branding teams relying more on AI-generated images (like the one I created above) over costly stock photos. Stock image subscriptions are budget busters. They range from $100 to $500 per month with limits on downloads.

Of course, AI image generation isn’t perfect—sometimes, these tools can struggle with details and color accuracy and, in rare cases, produce weird or unsettling results. But as Aurora continues to improve, it will replace the need for costly traditional stock images.

Overall, Aurora’s arrival is an exciting development. It’s yet another sign that AI image generation will be a useful tool for employer branding and creating images for social media.  As always, keep an eye on how X handles user data, and watch this space for further evolutions in AI-driven creativity.