How to edit photos and images with AI: Gemini, ChatGPT, Photoshop and Canva
Remove objects, swap backgrounds, restore old photos or create images from scratch with artificial intelligence: which tool to use for each job and how to ask for it.
You no longer need to know Photoshop to remove a stranger from your vacation photo or drop in a new background. Just type what you want. Here’s which tool to use for each job.
What you can do
- 🧽 Remove people, cables, stains or objects.
- 🌅 Change the background or the sky.
- 🧩 Expand a photo beyond its edges, inventing what’s missing.
- 🧓 Restore old photos: remove scratches and colorize black-and-white shots.
- 👕 Change details: clothing, a car’s color or the time of day.
- ✨ Create images from scratch for presentations, social media or your business.
The right tool for each job
| Tool | Rough price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini (Google) | Free with limits | Editing photos by talking to it, from your phone |
| ChatGPT | Free with limits | Creating images with readable text, like posters or covers |
| Photoshop (Adobe) | Subscription | Professional results with full control |
| Canva | Free, with paid extras | Social media and business designs |
| Google Photos / your phone’s gallery | Free | Quick object removal without installing anything |
Gemini: edit by talking
Upload a photo and type: “Remove the person in the background” or “Make it a sunset sky.” It stands out for keeping a person’s face recognizable across edits, something other AIs struggle with. Ideal on mobile.
ChatGPT: create from scratch
Very good at following long instructions and writing text inside the image without typos, like a poster title or a menu. It also lets you edit specific parts of an image.
Photoshop: for full control
Photoshop’s Generative Fill lets you select an area and type what to put there. It’s the professional option: it works in layers and doesn’t damage the original.
Canva: for social media and business
If you make Instagram posts, flyers or presentations, Canva combines AI with templates. You can remove backgrounds in one click and create images right in its editor.
How to ask so it comes out right
- Be specific: instead of “improve it”, say “brighten it slightly, remove the stain on the shirt and don’t change the face.”
- Say what must not change. AIs tend to “improve” things you didn’t ask about.
- One thing at a time. Several small edits work better than one big one.
- Keep the original. Always.
More instruction tips in how to write good prompts.
Limits and responsibility
- Tools add invisible watermarks, like Google’s SynthID or C2PA content credentials, indicating the image was edited with AI.
- Don’t edit other people’s photos to mock them or create fake images. It can be a crime, especially for intimate images or images of minors.
- For official document photos or online store product shots, check the rules: many prohibit altered images.
Want to go further and turn your image into a video? See the best AI video generators.
