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AI-generated art refers to any art generated using artificial intelligence algorithms and machine learning. AI-generated art recreates patterns and styles from existing pieces of art to generate a new image.
AI-generated art is one way to quickly create images to get your web pages closer to launch. Like licensed stock images, you can use these to create header images for blog posts, illustrations, or on-brand images. However, text-to-image technology has its limitations and it may not be the right solution for every brand or business.
Can you use AI-generated art on a website?
In many cases, you can use AI-generated art without violating any copyright or usage laws. However, always check the specific terms of use for any AI generator you use to ensure that you’re following their restrictions.
It’s better to avoid using AI-generated art to recreate a brand logo or a specific artist’s style. It’s usually safer to use AI art for more generic needs.
If you have a Squarespace website, you can access AI images that are pre-approved for use—like licensed stock images—for page section backgrounds. These images were AI-generated and curated by Squarespace to ensure you can find quality images to accommodate text overlay and other website features. That way, section backgrounds can add to your website style without distracting from your content.
Note: This information is available as a resource to help you get started, but this guide is not legal advice.
When it makes sense to use AI art on your website
Because AI-generated images are more appropriate for general use, use them the way you would use something from a stock photo website. For example, when you start a website with Squarespace Blueprint AI, you’ll start with AI-generated images tailored to your website and brand description, which you can eventually replace if needed. You can also use AI art for:
A blog post where you need a header showing a couple celebrating their wedding day
Your homepage to show the kind of landscapes that inspire your art
Your events page to add an accent image showing a calendar or a in-person gathering
Page section backgrounds to add visual variety to different parts of your page or draw attention by distinguishing a section.
Think of AI-generated images as a way to add emphasis to your website or make customers feel a certain way. If you’re trying to show visitors what you do, real-life images and examples will be more impactful.
When it’s best to avoid using AI-generated art
AI-generated art isn’t for every business. It’s best to avoid using AI-generated content if the purpose of your website is to:
Sell a physical product
Show your portfolio
Share your content
In each of those cases, the thing that will ultimately convert a website visitor into a customer or follower is unique to you and what you’ve created. Do your best to get screenshots, photos, and teasers of your actual product or content ready before launching your web page.
Even if AI art would work on your website, it depends on what your goal is for using an AI art generator. For example, if quickly launching your website is the goal, an AI generator may not actually be the fastest solution to get the right image. That will depend on how comfortable and practiced you are with using text-to-image generators to get the result you want.
How to add AI-generated art to your website
Adding AI art to your website is relatively simple. Start by getting a good idea of what images you need and how they’ll be used on your website.
Choose your AI image generator. There are several options—test out a few to find one you like and make sure you choose one that’s used widely and trusted.
Enter a prompt. It helps to make your text prompts as specific as possible. For example, “people doing yoga” might get you less useful results than “a photorealistic image of a diverse group of people aged 20-60 holding tree pose in a large yoga studio in an industrial space”.
Check your results. Find out if your prompt got you the results you were hoping for. If not, make adjustments to your prompt or the image itself to get you closer.
Watch out for errors. AI tools are still new and you’ll sometimes find errors in images. Check the images you’ve gotten for anything that looks off, like distortions or extra limbs.
Download your image. Make sure you have the right size for where you’ll be using the image.
Upload it to your website. Once you have an image you like, simply upload it to your website template. Make sure the image is high quality so that it fits the space you’ve given it and looks good at different screen sizes.
Alternatives to AI-generated art
If an AI solution doesn’t fit your brand or business, there are other low-cost ways to add images to your website.
Stock images: Unless you’re selling a physical product, stock image libraries will likely have options that work for you. With a Squarespace website, you can search and license images from Unsplash for free.
Type treatments: If you’re mostly looking to add visual variety, you can experiment with larger or bolder text or scrolling text and symbols.
Graphic elements: Hire a freelance designer to create small, repeatable images or animations for visual interest. These could be section breaks, background images, or flourishes for emphasis.
Do your own product photography: Doing your own photography might be simpler and more affordable than you think. With a neutral background and good natural lighting, you can get high-quality images with a phone camera and a free editing program.
Want more AI website tips? Read our guide to using Squarespace AI to draft site content
This article was updated on December 13, 2024.