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I’m in both the Software Engineering world and the author world. As you all know, I write two things: code and fiction. I have been a paying member of openai.com to use ChatGPT4 for code. The code is OK, and I would recommend it to any developer. I also attend the LTUE writer’s conference every year. This year, I was on 3 panels discussing AI. This post was created in preparation for these panels.

I thought ChatGPT4 could create a decent ad image for my Trinity of Mind book series. I’m never planning to hire an ad agency, so having it make me an ad won’t cost anybody their jobs. However, there are far more topics on ethicality than that. We’ll mention some later. But putting a pin in the ethicality, let’s see if it actually works.

First, let’s see how well it does. I’ll use the conversation model, where I grow my prompt over time.

Me: I have an urban fantasy novel that I would like to sell to readers who like urban fantasy. It is set in Salt Lake City. The main characters are: Jake, a druid; Alexis a dhampir; and Kendra, a druid. Jake, Kendra, and Alexis have a love triangle. Could you create me an image and text for an ad that will target readers of urban fantasy?

ChatGPT:

For your urban fantasy novel set in Salt Lake City, featuring a captivating love triangle among

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): So this is a really cool image. I love the image. But not as an ad for my book. It has problems. First, the mains characters include one boy and two girls, but this image is one girl and two boys. Also, the characters are way too old. However, this is completely my fault. I didn’t tell OpenAI any of this. I decided to try again.

ME: I love it. Jake is a boy who almost 18 years old, and plays football. He has brown hair and eyes, and is muscular. Alexis is a girl, 18 years old, tall with black hair, and always wears black leather. Kendra is sixteen, with golden-blond hair, and her magic strength is emotions. Can you make the characters in the image better match those descriptions?

ChatGPT:

Here are the updated images that better match the descriptions of Jake, Alexis, and Kendra, set in the urban fantasy backdrop of Salt Lake City. Each character’s unique traits and the intricate dynamics of their love triangle are depicted amidst the magical and urban elements. Please have a look at these visuals and see if they align with your vision for the ad.

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): These are absolutely terrible. Maybe I need to work on my prompt.

Me: I have an urban fantasy novel that I would like to sell to readers who like urban fantasy. It is set in Salt Lake City. The main characters are: Jake, a druid; Alexis a dhampir; and Kendra, a druid. Jake, Kendra, and Alexis have a love triangle.

Jake is a boy who is almost 18 years old and plays football. He has brown hair and eyes and is muscular. Alexis is a girl 18 years old, tall with black hair, and always wears black leather. Kendra is sixteen, with golden-blond hair, and her magic strength is emotions.

I would like to target readers who like modern magic, vampires, and other monsters.

Could you create me an image and text for an ad that will target readers of urban fantasy?

ChatGPT:

Here’s the updated image for your ad, tailored to attract readers who are fans of urban fantasy, modern magic, vampires, and other mystical elements. This scene captures the essence of your novel set in Salt Lake City, featuring Jake, Alexis, and Kendra in a world where the boundaries between the ordinary and the extraordinary blur seamlessly.

For the accompanying text:

Dive into the Shadows of Salt Lake City

Uncover a world where ancient magic breathes life into the streets of Salt Lake City. Meet Jake, a druid with the heart of a warrior; Alexis, a dhampir caught between worlds; and Kendra, whose power over emotions weaves a delicate web of intrigue and desire. In a city where the night whispers secrets, their destinies intertwine in a love triangle as enigmatic as the creatures that walk among us.

Are you ready to explore the unseen?

Join the adventure where vampires glide through the night, druids command the forces of nature, and the magic of emotions can tilt the balance of power. Discover “Title of Your Novel,” where every shadow hides a story and every heart harbors a secret.

Dare to embrace the magic within.

Feel free to adjust the title and any details to better fit your novel’s themes and narrative.

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): Ok, this is a super cool image. Honestly, if it weren’t for the tattoo, it would be usable. So I have to give it props. My fault. I didn’t say, “no tattoos.” Let’s tell it to remove the tattoos.

The text it added was way longer than I expected, but OK. It doesn’t match my book, but that is fine, I didn’t give it enough information. Maybe I should do the image and text separately.

Me: Almost perfect. Can you remove the tattoos?

ChatGPT:

Here’s the revised image for your ad, tailored to your specifications with Jake now appearing without tattoos. This scene continues to capture the essence of your urban fantasy novel set in Salt Lake City, focusing on the mystical and adventurous elements that will appeal to fans of modern magic, vampires, and other supernatural beings.

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): Uh, ChatGPT just said this image is without tattoos? Seriously? Outside of context, this image is kinda cool, but once again, it has the problem of two boys and one girl and tattoos. Maybe I need to improve my prompt. A

Me: I have an urban fantasy novel that I would like to sell to readers who like urban fantasy. It is set in Salt Lake City. The main characters are: Jake, a druid; Alexis a dhampir; and Kendra, a druid. Jake, Kendra, and Alexis have a love triangle.

Jake is a boy who is almost 18 years old and plays football. He has brown hair and eyes and is muscular. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No tattoos.

Alexis is a girl 18 years old, tall with black hair, and always wears black leather. She had red eyes. No tattoos.

Kendra is sixteen, with golden-blond hair, and her magic strength is emotions. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No tattoos.

I would like to target readers who like modern magic, vampires, and other monsters.

Could you create me an image and text for an ad that will target readers of urban fantasy?

ChatGPT:

Here’s the image for your ad, crafted to captivate readers who are enthusiasts of urban fantasy, modern magic, vampires, and other mystical beings. This scene is set against the backdrop of Salt Lake City and features Jake, Alexis, and Kendra, each with their unique traits and backgrounds, woven into a narrative filled with magic, love, and the supernatural.

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): Yay, the tattoos are gone, But unfortunately, we now have 3 guys (maybe) and 1 girl. Jake is a bit too old. Jake has a cross, but both Jake and Kendra are Utah Chistrians who wouldn’t wear a cross.

Still, there is a lot to compliment. The cityscape is great. Alexis, though not matching the picture in my head, is a near-perfect depiction of what I described.

Me: I have an urban fantasy novel that I would like to sell to readers who like urban fantasy. It is set in Salt Lake City. There are three main characters:

1. Jake is a boy who is almost 18 years old and plays football. He has brown hair and eyes and is muscular. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No tattoos.

2. Alexis is a girl 18 years old, tall with black hair, and always wears black leather. She had red eyes. No tattoos.

3. Kendra is sixteen, with golden-blond hair, and her magic strength is emotions. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No tattoos.

I would like to target readers who like modern magic, vampires, and other monsters.

Could you create me an image and text for an ad that will target readers of urban fantasy?

ChatGPT:

Here’s the image for your urban fantasy novel ad, designed to captivate readers who are enthusiasts of modern magic, vampires, and other mystical elements. This scene, set in Salt Lake City, features Jake, Alexis, and Kendra, each embodying their unique traits and backgrounds, bringing to life the magical and adventurous narrative you wish to share.

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): Bah. The tattoos are back. And what is with Alexis’s glowing red eyes. I never said glowing. And Kendra is a boy.

I like the temple, as it is a good representation of Salt Lake City, as are the mountains.

Let’s try again

Me: I have an urban fantasy novel that I would like to sell to readers who like urban fantasy. It is set in Salt Lake City. There are three main characters, one boy and to girls:

1. Boy. Jake is almost 18 years old and plays football. He has brown hair and eyes and is muscular. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No tattoos.

2. Girl. Alexis is 18 years old, tall with black hair, and always wears black leather. She black hair, red eyes, and light skin. No tattoos. She wears a red ruby jewel on a necklace.

3. Girl. Kendra is sixteen, with golden-blond hair, and her magic strength is emotions. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No tattoos.

These three characters are in a love triangle. The Celtic trinity symbol is a theme of the story.

I would like to target readers who like modern magic, vampires, and other monsters.

Could you create me an image and text for an ad that will target readers of urban fantasy?

ChatGPT

Me: You keep adding tattoos even though I keep saying no tattoos.

ChatGPT:

I apologize for the oversight in the image generations. Let’s correct that.

I’ll generate a new image without tattoos on any of the characters, adhering closely to your descriptions and requirements.

Let’s create a new image that accurately reflects your characters Jake, Alexis, and Kendra without tattoos, set in an urban fantasy scene in Salt Lake City.

Here’s the revised image for your ad, ensuring that none of the characters have tattoos, in line with your specifications. This scene is designed to captivate urban fantasy readers, featuring Jake, Alexis, and Kendra set against the backdrop of Salt Lake City, infused with elements of modern magic and mystical creatures.

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): Ok, now I am frustrated. What is with the tattoos. The image is worse. What is with the face tattoos, all while ensuring me that there are no tattoos. Maybe I’m going about the “no tattoos” in another way. Maybe I should describe what I want instead of saying what I don’t want. I want clear, unmarked skin.

Me: I have an urban fantasy novel that I would like to sell to readers who like urban fantasy. It is set in Salt Lake City. There are three main characters, one boy and to girls:

1. Boy. Jake is almost 18 years old and plays football. He has brown hair and eyes and is muscular. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has clear, unmarked, tan skin.

2. Girl. Alexis is 18 years old, tall with black hair, and always wears black leather. She black hair, red eyes. She has clear, unmarked, pale skin. She wears a red ruby jewel on a necklace with a trinity symbol.

3. Girl. Kendra is sixteen, with golden-blond hair, and her magic strength is emotions. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has clear, unmarked, light skin. These three characters are in a love triangle. She wears a necklace with a trinity symbol.

I would like to target readers who like modern magic, vampires, and other monsters.

Could you create me an image and text for an ad that will target readers of urban fantasy?

ChatGPT:

Here’s the updated image for your ad, crafted to accurately reflect the unique attributes of Jake, Alexis, and Kendra in the urban fantasy setting of Salt Lake City. The scene blends the modern urban environment with magical elements, capturing the essence of your novel’s world where magic, vampires, and other mystical beings intertwine with the lives of the characters.

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): This is a really good image. I’m a little frustrated that all three have red eyes. I clearly said that Jake has brown eyes, but honestly, I didn’t say that Kendra had blue eyes. My bad. I did clearly say that Alexis had black hair and Kendra had golden-brown hair.

Also, I gave the ages but these characters all look mid-twenties, not late teens.

If I pick an image to use for an ad, it will be this one. However, let me clarify that Kendra has blue eyes.

Me: I have an urban fantasy novel that I would like to sell to readers who like urban fantasy. It is set in Salt Lake City. There are three main characters, one boy and two girls:
1. Boy. Jake is almost 18 years old and plays football. He has brown hair and eyes and is muscular. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has clear, unmarked, tan skin.
2. Girl. Alexis is 18 years old, tall and always wears black leather. She has black hair and red eyes. She has clear, unmarked, pale skin. She wears a red ruby jewel on a necklace with a trinity symbol.
3. Girl. Kendra is sixteen, with golden-blond hair and blue eyes, and her magic strength is emotions. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has clear, unmarked, light skin.

These three characters are in a love triangle. She wears a necklace with a trinity symbol.

I would like to target readers who like modern magic, vampires, and other monsters.

Could you create me an image and text for an ad that will target readers of urban fantasy?

ChatGPT:

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): Bah! Again with the two boys and one girl! Again wit the tattoos. Again with the cross.

Me: I have an urban fantasy novel that I would like to sell to readers who like urban fantasy. It is set in Salt Lake City. There are three main characters, one boy and to girls. These three characters are in a love triangle.

1. Boy. Jake is 17 years old and plays football. He has brown hair and eyes and is muscular. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has clear, unmarked, tan skin.

2. Girl. Alexis is 18 years old, tall and always wears black leather. She has black hair and red eyes. She has clear, unmarked, pale skin. She wears a red ruby jewel on a necklace with a trinity symbol.

3. Girl. Kendra is 16, with golden-blond hair and blue eyes, and her magic strength is emotions. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has clear, unmarked, light skin. She wears a necklace with a trinity symbol.

I would like to target readers who like modern magic, vampires, and other monsters.

Could you create me an image and text for an ad that will target readers of urban fantasy?

ChatGPT:

Here are two images for your ad, each designed to draw urban fantasy readers into the world of your novel set in Salt Lake City. The scenes feature Jake, Alexis, and Kendra, capturing their unique characteristics and the magical elements of your story.

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): I have no words. The quality of the above are so low. I really liked the image with id 834e4bef-78b8-4f0c-a241-8175ace28dce so let’s see if we can go back to that.

Me: I really liked the image with id 834e4bef-78b8-4f0c-a241-8175ace28dce. However, I wanted it younger.

ChatGPT:

I’ve recreated the urban fantasy scene with the characters appearing younger, aligning more closely with their described ages in your novel. This image retains the magical and urban elements of Salt Lake City while focusing on the youthful appearances of Jake, Alexis, and Kendra, set against the backdrop of their intricate love triangle and mystical world.

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): No. I wanted the above image, but younger! My frustration is increasing.

Me: I have an urban fantasy novel that I would like to sell to readers who like urban fantasy. It is set in Salt Lake City. There are three main characters, one boy and to girls. These three characters are in a love triangle.

1. Boy. Jake is 17 years old and plays football. He has brown hair and eyes and is muscular. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has clear, unmarked, tan skin.

2. Girl. Alexis is 18 years old, tall and always wears black leather. She has black hair and red eyes. She has clear, unmarked, pale skin. She wears a red ruby jewel on a necklace with a trinity symbol.

3. Girl. Kendra is 16, with golden-blond hair and blue eyes, and her magic strength is emotions. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has clear, unmarked, light skin. She wears a necklace with a trinity symbol.

I would like to target readers who like modern magic, vampires, and other monsters.

I would like an image with Jake in the front, Kendra and Alexis on each side and the nighttime Salt Lake City scape in the background.

Could you create me an image and text for an ad that will target readers of urban fantasy?

ChatGPT:

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): It is just repeating problems. Red eyes on Jake. Didn’t I say Alexis always wears black? What is with the jewel on Jake’s jersey?

Kendra is perfect.

Maybe it is time to just keep repeating? I know, I’m insane. I clicked the retry button.

ChatGPT:

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): Jake is almost perfect. Kendra is too old and is modest. I did say she was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which should imply modestly, but I didn’t explicit say that.

Me: I have an urban fantasy novel that I would like to sell to readers who like urban fantasy. It is set in Salt Lake City. There are three main characters, one boy and to girls. These three characters are in a love triangle.

1. Boy. Jake is 17 years old and plays football. He has brown hair and eyes and is muscular. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has clear, unmarked, tan skin.

2. Girl. Alexis is 18 years old, tall and always wears black leather. She has black hair and red eyes. She has clear, unmarked, pale skin. She wears a red ruby jewel on a necklace with a trinity symbol.

3. Girl. Kendra is 16, with golden-blond hair and blue eyes, and her magic strength is emotions. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has clear, unmarked, light skin. She wears a necklace with a trinity symbol.

I would like to target readers who like modern magic, vampires, and other monsters.

Could you create me an image for an ad that will target readers of urban fantasy?

ChatGPT:

Here’s the image for your urban fantasy novel ad, set against the enchanting backdrop of Salt Lake City at night. The scene features Jake, Alexis, and Kendra, each depicted with their unique attributes, surrounded by an aura of modern magic and mysticism, perfect for attracting readers who are fans of urban fantasy, vampires, and other supernatural elements.

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): Jake is almost perfect. But Kendra suddenly has freckles instead of clear skin. Alexis would be great if she had red eyes and didn’t have half-elf ears.

It is so frustrating because I have a near-perfect Jake, a near-perfect Kendra, a near-perfect Alexis, and multiple great background cityscapes, but not one of them is all together.

Let’s keep repeating. Insanity!

ChatGPT:

ChatGPT:

ChatGPT:

My thoughts (not part of the ChatGPT session): The images are not improving.

Ethics

Is this ethical? This is a discussion that has created a lot of debate. There are varying point of views, the primary two being:

  1. Any use of any copyrighted image is an infringement of that copyright.
    • AI should pay the artists to train on their work.
    • AI should only use free art to train on.
  2. As humans, we can view copyrighted art and then use it to draw images with similar styles. We can use art as references without copyright infringement. AI is just doing the same thing, just faster.
    • Also, there is enough art that is free or publicly licensed that the AI can be trained solely on that art and not need to pay anyone. So will it matter?

In the end, opinions likely won’t matter as lawsuits will decide this issue.

Another question is this, why is Art suing? Not a single software engineer is suing AI, even though Software Usually is copyrighted as well, and over the past year half a million software engineers have been laid off (which may or may not be AI related)?

Conclusion

In the end, AI did NOT give me an image I could use straight from AI into an Ad. However, I know other people that have had success.

I’m normally asking for code, and it does a much better job with that. I’ll keep learning.

Arguments that AI has arrived?

AI is creating some awesome images. I have a few images I can use for reference. Maybe a few I can fix in another tool (Photoshop or Paint.net). That is going to save me a ton of time as I only have to modify a few images instead of completely create new images.

It delivered a near-perfect Jake, a near-perfect Kendra, a near-perfect Alexis, and multiple great background cityscapes.

A lot of the problems were (a maybe still are) my fault. I didn’t provide all the information up front at first.

Arguments that AI hasn’t arrived yet?

The majority of the images it created were some very low-quality images. It continued to repeat the same problems. It couldn’t follow my descriptions of the characters.

It never gave me all three characters as I asked for, together with a good background.

The no tattoo thing really was terrible. The inability to get the eye color right in each character is inexcusable.

What do you think?