DALL-E can now assist you in imagining what lies beyond the frame of famous paintings

OpenAI text-to-image AI model DALL-E now includes a new "outpointing" function that allows the system to generate new visuals that expand the borders of any given picture. In the preceding example, you can see how DALL-E "imagines" what's outside the frame of Johannes Vermeer's portrait "Girl with a Pearl Earring" with the help of human prompting. Take note of how, despite the portrait's limited information, the system can match Vermeer's style, mimicking the shadows and highlights of the original. In the timelapse below, you can also see how the artist in charge, August Kamp, had to expand the image in small sections at a time, frequently redoing DALL-E generations to achieve the desired result. The fact that the system does not generate these extensions on its own is not visible in this video but is worth mentioning. The model, like all text-to-image AI, requires humans to describe the new visuals.

Outpainting can be used to expand original content, but many DALL-E users have been experimenting with the feature to see what lies beyond the frame of famous images. Outpainting doesn't extend the basic functionality of text-to-image AI systems, but it does show how OpenAI will likely position itself in the growing market for these systems. Many text-to-image AI models can perform the same essential function as outpainting, but it required a lot of manual fiddling, just like DALL-E before this update. DALL-E will be able to differentiate itself from the growing competition of smaller but comparable systems like Mid journey and Stable Diffusion by making outpainting as simple as possible.

DALL-E is now available through a beta program, with over a million users currently granted access. Each beta user receives 50 free image generation attempts in the first month, followed by 15 other uses each month after that. They can then purchase an additional 115 image generations for $15. In the meantime, outpainting can be used to solve some of life's most perplexing mysteries, such as "what if the Quaker Oats guy was a busty barmaid?