Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to technology that enables computers and machines to perform tasks that mimic human capabilities. By simplifying those tasks, AI can save people a lot of time and energy, which has greatly benefited industries, like healthcare and finance. More recently, AI has captivated creatives, making headlines for turning artistic ideas into digital masterpieces. As the conversation around AI-generated art grows, people want to know how it works, what to know before using it, and the best apps to try. Want to dabble in AI art this year? Keep reading to learn more about the trending topic and which apps to try first.

AI systems can create unique images through machine learning. While AI is about mimicking human intelligence, machine learning is a subset of AI that focuses on quality and being able to gradually improve an experience without explicitly being programmed to. With AI art, once a tool is trained to analyze millions of images and matching descriptions, it will eventually learn to produce new and better visuals based on those associations.

Even the most advanced AI programs carry a certain level of risk. Without human intervention, AI tools may not be able to filter through images or content that contain bias or problematic elements. Another area of concern is that artists cannot opt out of their work being used to train AI tools, which means that an AI-generated image can imitate an artist’s style without their consent.

Despite these issues, AI art can still be a fun way to connect with friends and spark your creativity. When you’re ready to try creating artwork, our No. 1 tip is to get specific with your prompts – the more context, the better. Specifying qualities, like color, location, time of day, and style, can help the AI tool create an image that’s best in line with your vision.

Crowned Play’s Best App of 2022, Dream lets you turn your wildest ideas into polished works of art. Start by typing in a specific prompt, like “a teddy bear paragliding down the Swiss Alps.” You can then customize your image with styles like “meme” or “watercolor,” add an optional reference pic, and download your masterpiece.

You’ll need a subscription to use premium art styles, skip ads, and create multiple output images for each prompt.

Try Lensa’s viral “magic avatars” for colorful, custom portraits perfect for sharing on social media. Upload 10 selfies, then see yourself transformed into characters like a movie star, cosmic warrior, and ethereal princess. You can also use Lensa to instantly retouch individual photos, turning them into elegant paintings or stylish magazine covers.

After a 7-day trial, you’ll have to pay a yearly subscription fee to use Lensa, plus an additional fee to generate avatars.

If you have a specific style in mind for your artwork, this ultra-customizable app is for you. Enter a prompt, then tailor your style “recipe” by specifying artists, mediums, and movements you want your image to imitate. We especially love the ability to edit output pictures; outline a specific area to replace if it isn’t quite right.

You can create images based on five prompts a day at no cost, or pay for additional credits.