Introduction: The Explosive Growth of AI-Generated Photos

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve, its applications in creative industries are rapidly expanding. AI-generated images have surged in popularity thanks to tools like DALL-E, MidJourney, and Stable Diffusion, enabling users to create high-quality visuals from text-based prompts. But just how many AI-generated photos are there? And how do these numbers compare to the vast sea of traditional photos uploaded online? In this article, we’ll explore key statistics, trends, and the growing impact of AI-generated imagery on visual content creation.

1. How Many AI-Generated Photos Are Being Created?

AI-generated photos have seen unprecedented growth in recent years, especially since the introduction of text-to-image algorithms. The rise of platforms like DALL-E 2 and Stable Diffusion has fueled this exponential increase.

• Over 15 billion AI-generated images have been created since 2022 using text-to-image algorithms .

• Users are generating 34 million AI-generated images per day, particularly following the launch of DALL-E 2 .

• Approximately 80% of AI-generated images (roughly 12.59 billion) were produced using models based on Stable Diffusion, making it one of the most dominant technologies in AI image creation .

These statistics highlight the speed and scale at which AI-generated content is being produced, creating an enormous catalog of digital visuals in a very short time.

2. Traditional Photo Uploads vs. AI-Generated Images

When comparing AI-generated photos to traditional photo uploads, it’s clear that AI is quickly closing the gap. However, traditional photos still dominate in total volume.

• Instagram: Since its launch in 2010, more than 50 billion photos have been shared on Instagram .

• Facebook: Users upload approximately 350 million photos per day, adding up to billions annually .

• Shutterstock: As one of the largest stock photo platforms, Shutterstock holds a library of over 500 million images—a collection that includes photos, vectors, and illustrations .

3. How AI-Generated Photos Compare to Traditional Images

To put these numbers in perspective, AI-generated images already account for a significant portion of online visual content:

• The 15 billion AI-generated images created in just two years surpass Shutterstock’s entire library of photos, vectors, and illustrations .

• AI-generated photos now account for approximately one-third of the number of images ever uploaded to Instagram .

Despite this rapid growth, traditional photo uploads, particularly on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, still outnumber AI-generated images. However, with 34 million new AI-generated photos created daily, the gap is narrowing quickly.

4. The Rise of AI in Content Creation

AI image generators have revolutionized the way people create visuals, democratizing creativity and enabling users with no artistic background to produce high-quality images instantly. This has major implications for industries like advertising, social media marketing, and graphic design, where fast, cost-effective content production is essential.

• AI tools such as Synthesia, Colossyan, and DALL-E are now widely used to produce visual content for marketing, branding, and training videos .

• 44% of marketers are already using AI for content production as of 2024, highlighting the growing trust in AI-powered creativity .

5. Future Trends in AI-Generated Visual Content

While AI-generated photos haven’t yet surpassed traditional photos in sheer volume, the rapid rate of production suggests they could do so in the near future. As AI image creation technologies evolve, they will likely become more accessible, more sophisticated, and further integrated into everyday content creation.

• AI video generation tools are also gaining traction, pointing to a future where both static and dynamic visual content are routinely produced by AI .

• The continued growth of AI-generated content will likely influence everything from stock photo libraries to social media campaigns, offering faster and more flexible solutions for businesses and creatives.

Conclusion: The Growth of AI-Generated Photos is Unstoppable

AI-generated photos are quickly becoming a major force in the world of digital imagery. With 15 billion AI-generated images created since 2022 and 34 million more produced every day, the numbers speak for themselves: AI is transforming the landscape of visual content creation. While traditional photos still dominate in volume, the rapid rise of AI-generated imagery signals a shift that is poised to reshape the way we think about photography, design, and content creation in the years to come.

As AI tools become more widely adopted across industries, journalists, marketers, and creatives need to stay ahead of these trends. With Lit and Salty AI, leveraging AI-generated narration has never been easier—empowering you to create stunning video commentary at scale.

Sources:

• Synthesia - https://www.synthesia.io/

• Colossyan - https://www.colossyan.com/

• Journal Everypixel - https://journal.everypixel.com/ai-image-statistics

• Epidemic Sounds - https://www.epidemicsound.com/blog/ai-generated-video-content/

• Vidjet - https://www.vidjet.com/blog/ai-generated-video-creation-statistics