Beyond Stock Photos: These AI Image Tools Can Enhance Your Course Visuals

Tired of your course visuals falling flat? In a world saturated with mediocre content, your visuals shouldn’t just fill space—they should stand out.

Your ideas deserve more than generic, lifeless images. AI-powered tools are here to help you bring those concepts to life, transforming your visuals into dynamic, engaging experiences. AI empowers you to design visuals that transform your ideas into immersive experiences, resonating with learners and making a lasting impression.

The tools

AI image tools have come a long way, offering course creators incredible potential to produce stunning visuals with ease.

These tools are constantly evolving, with the global AI market expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37.3% and reach $1.8 trillion by 2030. This rapid development makes AI more accessible and powerful, allowing creators to bring their ideas to life in ways never before possible.

If you’ve ever struggled with visuals, now’s the time to explore what AI can do for your courses—it’s a practical, accessible way to make your content stand out.

Image generation

AI image generation opens up limitless creative possibilities. These tools allow you to bring your ideas to life, creating visuals from scratch that are fully tailored to your course’s needs, without relying on stock photography.

DALL·E 3 – Precision and Flexibility for Complex Visuals

DALL·E 3 takes AI image generation to a new level for course creators. With its enhanced prompt understanding, it can accurately transform even complex ideas into precise visuals. The tool produces high-quality, detailed images that are visually sharp and professional.

You can also use inpainting to modify specific parts of an image without starting over, and its artistic style mimicry offers flexibility in generating visuals that match your desired aesthetic. Plus, with direct integration with ChatGPT, it streamlines the creative process for users in OpenAI’s ecosystem, making content creation easier than ever.

Pricing: Offers free plan. Premium starts at $20/month.

*Pricing information retrieved from ChatGPT in November 2024.

Midjourney – Stylized Creations for Artistic Visuals

MidJourney takes AI-generated art to a new level with its unique ability to create imaginative and stylized visuals. With its artistic flexibility, it allows users to generate anything from surreal, abstract pieces to detailed, realistic images. This versatility makes it a standout for course creators seeking creative, attention-grabbing visuals.

The platform’s ease of use through Discord makes collaboration and experimentation easy, fostering a creative community. MidJourney also excels at rapid prototyping, enabling users to quickly bring their concepts to life. With continuous updates, such as version 6.1, it offers improved detail and accuracy, making it a powerful tool for creating compelling visuals with minimal effort.

Pricing: Starts at $10/month.

*Pricing information retrieved from Midjourney in November 2024.

Adobe Firefly – Customizable Visuals with Seamless Creative Cloud Integration

Adobe Firefly brings AI image generation to new heights with its ability to create detailed, high-quality visuals from text prompts. With features like Generative Match and photo settings adjustments, it enables users to produce precise, customized images that align with their creative vision.

Deep integration with Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite allows seamless transitions between generating and editing visuals, making it ideal for course creators and designers looking to streamline workflows.

Pricing: Offers free generations. Paid plans start at $4.99/month.

*Pricing information retrieved from Adobe in November 2024.

RunwayML- Excellent Visuals for Multimedia Projects

RunwayML offers a robust AI-driven image generation tool as part of its broader creative suite, which also includes advanced video editing, text-to-video transformation, and video-to-video conversion.

With its image generation capabilities, users can input text prompts to create custom visuals, making it a valuable tool for creators needing quick, high-quality images. Its integration with other media tools allows seamless content creation across different formats, providing a versatile solution for course creators, marketers, and designers looking to streamline their workflows.

Pricing: Offers free plan, premium starts at $15/month.

*Pricing information retrieved from Runway in November 2024.

Flux AI – Rapid, High-Quality Visuals with Customizable Speed and Control

Flux AI is a lightning-fast AI-powered image generator that creates high-quality visuals from text prompts in seconds. The platform offers advanced models like Flux Pro for detailed control and Flux Schnell for rapid iterations, making it versatile for both quick and complex designs.

Its intuitive interface allows users to easily generate stunning visuals, outperforming platforms like MidJourney in speed. Flux AI also supports commercial use, allowing course creators to generate and sell images effortlessly.

Pricing: Free plan with 60 credits, premium plans starting at $9.99/month for 5000 credits​.

*Pricing information retrieved from FluxAI in November 2024.

Image enhancement

If your visuals lack quality, AI enhancement tools sharpen and upgrade existing images, making them clear and professional, and ensuring your content always looks its best.

TopazLabs – AI: All-in-One Image Quality Booster

TopazLabs provides two essential tools for image enhancement: Topaz Photo AI and Gigapixel AI. Topaz Photo AI combines noise reduction, sharpening, and upscaling into one streamlined tool. Its Autopilot feature analyzes images and automatically applies improvements, making it a convenient choice for photographers and content creators seeking high-quality results with minimal effort.

Gigapixel AI focuses on upscaling, and increasing image resolution while preserving detail and sharpness. It’s ideal for enlarging images for printing or high-resolution needs, ensuring clarity even when scaling smaller files.

Pricing: Topaz Photo AI starts at $199, and Gigapixel AI starts at $99.

*Pricing information retrieved from TopazLabs in November 2024.

Luminar Neo – Easy AI-Powered Edits for Stunning Photos

Luminar Neo is an AI-powered photo editor that simplifies the creation of high-quality visuals. With tools like Sky Replacement AI and Relight AI, users can enhance lighting, replace backgrounds, and refine image quality with Noiseless AI and Supercontrast AI for sharper, cleaner visuals.

Portrait AI makes retouching facial features easy, while support for layers and masking allows for more creative flexibility. Whether used standalone or as a plugin for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, Luminar Neo streamlines visual content creation.

Pricing: Currently on discount of $59/year or a one-time payment of $99.

*Pricing information retrieved from Skylum in November 2024.

VanceAI – Effortless Image Upscaling and Denoising

VanceAI is an AI-powered image enhancement platform that offers a range of tools to improve the quality of photos. Its features include upscaling, denoising, and sharpening, allowing users to quickly enhance the resolution and clarity of images.

VanceAI also offers specialized tools for restoring old photos and background removal, making it versatile for both creative and practical uses. With batch processing capabilities, it enables users to enhance large numbers of images efficiently, ideal for those handling multiple visuals at once.

Pricing: Starts at 100 credits for $4.95.

*Pricing information retrieved from VanceAI in November 2024.

Let’s Enhance – High-Resolution Upscaling for Professional Results

Let’s Enhance is an AI-powered image enhancement tool designed to upscale and improve photo quality. With features like upscaling up to 16x, color correction, sharpening, and noise reduction, users can transform low-resolution images into high-quality visuals suitable for prints, web content, and social media.

It also helps restore clarity in compressed images by removing JPEG artifacts, ensuring sharp, professional results. Batch processing allows users to enhance multiple images at once, making it highly efficient for those working with large quantities of visuals.

Pricing: Offers 10 free credits. Premium starts at 100 credits for $12/month.

*Pricing information retrieved from Let’sEnhance in November 2024.

Image Editing

AI editing tools simplify adjustments, from removing backgrounds to retouching. They save time and allow for quick, precise edits.

Fotor is an AI-powered image editing platform designed to provide users with quick and easy editing tools. It offers features such as background removal, retouching, color correction, and a variety of filters and effects to enhance images effortlessly.

Fotor’s one-click enhancements and user-friendly interface make it an ideal choice for those looking to create professional visuals quickly, without any design expertise. The platform also provides design templates for social media, ads, and more, making it perfect for creating marketing materials and course visuals.

Pricing: Free version available, with premium features starting at $8.99/month​.

*Pricing information retrieved from Fotor in November 2024.

Pixelcut – Background Removal and Marketing Templates

Pixelcut is an AI-powered image editing platform designed to make creating high-quality visuals fast and easy. It features background removal, a magic eraser for eliminating unwanted objects, and an image upscaler to improve resolution, making it perfect for refining course visuals or marketing materials.

With batch editing capabilities and a library of ready-made templates, users can create polished, professional-looking images for social media, course thumbnails, and e-commerce. Its user-friendly interface and one-click tools allow course creators to achieve professional results without technical expertise.

Pricing: 100 free credits. Paid plans start at $10 for 1000 credits per month.

*Pricing information retrieved from Pixelcut in November 2024.

Remove.bg – Fast and Accurate Background Removal

Remove.bg is an AI-powered tool that automatically removes backgrounds from images in seconds. It’s designed for users who need to isolate subjects quickly and efficiently, making it ideal for creating clean product visuals, course content, or promotional images.

With the ability to replace backgrounds with solid colors or custom images, it allows for basic image editing without technical skills. It’s entirely web-based, so no software installation is needed, and it supports batch processing for handling multiple images at once.

Pricing: Pay as you for $0.90 per image and subscription for $0.20 per image among other options.

*Pricing information retrieved from Remove.bg in November 2024.

Pixlr – Advanced Editing with Layers and Filters

Pixlr is a web-based, AI-powered image editing platform that offers a wide range of tools for editing and enhancing images. Its key features include background removal, object removal, and a variety of filters and effects.

With additional tools like layers, blending modes, and color adjustments, Pixlr allows users to create both simple edits and more complex designs with ease. It also offers an AI image generator and collage maker, making it versatile for creating social media graphics, course visuals, and marketing content. Pixlr is accessible via web browsers, and mobile, and desktop apps, making it convenient for users to edit anywhere.

Pricing: Offers free trial. Paid plans start at 1.99/month.

*Pricing information retrieved from Pixlr in November 2024.

Image Transformation

Image transformation tools creatively alter existing visuals, adding artistic flair or completely changing styles, giving your course a fresh, unique edge.

Prisma.ai – Artistic Filters for Creative Visuals

Prisma.ai is an AI-powered platform that transforms ordinary photos into stunning artwork by applying artistic filters inspired by famous artists. With a wide range of creative styles, users can instantly give their visuals an artistic touch, turning images into digital paintings or drawings.

This is ideal for course creators looking to enhance their visuals or marketing content with eye-catching, creative designs that stand out.

Pricing: Pricing details are available directly through the app.

Ostagram – Artistic Blends with Neural Style Transfer

Ostagram is an AI-powered tool that transforms photos into unique works of art using neural style transfer. Users upload an image and select an artistic style from a gallery of famous artworks like those of Van Gogh, Picasso, and others.

The AI blends the content of the original photo with the chosen style to create a new, transformed piece of digital art. It’s ideal for course creators looking to add a creative, artistic flair to their course visuals or promotional materials.

Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $1 per image.

*Pricing information retrieved from Ostagram in November 2024.

GoArt by Fotor – Transform Photos into High-Resolution Artwork

GoArt by Fotor is an AI-powered tool that allows users to transform their photos into artistic digital artwork by applying artistic filters inspired by famous art movements. With a wide range of styles, from Impressionism to Pop Art, users can create unique visuals that look like paintings.

One of its standout features is the ability to produce high-resolution images suitable for printing, making it perfect for turning images into canvas prints or posters. GoArt is simple to use, requiring no design skills, making it ideal for course creators who want to add a creative, artistic element to their visuals.

Pricing: Free version is available. Premium features start at $8.99/month​.

*Pricing information retrieved from Fotor in November 2024.

Closing Thoughts & Considerations

As we wrap up, it’s important to recognize that while AI tools offer immense potential, there are still a few ethical concerns for course creators to keep in mind.

• In image generation, questions around intellectual property and ownership of AI-generated visuals need attention, especially when using images in commercial or educational materials.
• For image enhancement, there’s the challenge of maintaining authenticity—how much should an image be enhanced before it feels deceptive?
• In image editing, automation can reduce time spent on tasks but also risks losing the personal touch that makes your content unique.
• And in image transformation, there’s a fine line between creative repurposing and misrepresentation of content.

That said, these concerns shouldn’t overshadow the exciting future of AI in course creation. These tools are not just trends—they are rapidly becoming essential for crafting visually compelling courses.

They empower you to create polished, professional visuals that elevate your content without the need for advanced design skills. AI doesn’t just make your job easier—it makes your content stand out, helping you engage learners on a whole new level.

Embrace the future of AI in course creation—start exploring these tools to unlock new levels of creativity and captivate your learners. Your visuals can make a lasting impact; AI can help make that a reality.

Ready to elevate your course visuals? Start experimenting today!

Further reading you might find interesting:

• The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Education: Will A.I. Disrupt eLearning?
• Set the Stage for Success: Create a Winning Course Outline using ChatGPT
• A.I. Course Creation: How to Use ChatGPT to Create eLearning Content
• 10 Great Interactive Course Activities to Create With ChatGPT
• AI Course Creator: Create Your Online Course with the LearnWorlds AI Assistant
• Supercharge Your Business Training Courses: Mastering Content Creation using ChatGPT
• 37 AI Writing Tools to Help You Create & Market Your Online Courses (2024)

Taxiarches Bavelas

A product researcher with a fascination for eLearning, Taxiarches thrives on uncovering how new technologies can unlock deeper, more engaging learning experiences. With a background rooted in tech and product development, he has a particular interest in gamification, drawing on his experience to find new ways to make learning more interactive and motivating. Focused on practical, lasting impact, he seeks out innovations that genuinely enhance how people learn and grow—beyond just following trends.