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While AI photo editors can streamline your editing workflow dramatically, they’re far from perfect. There are several things I don’t like about them, and here, you’ll discover what they are—all based on my own experiences with this software.
1You Can’t Fully Control the Final Look
AI image editors are, by and large, designed to cut your editing time. This is helpful if you’re trying to edit pictures in bulk or you simply do not enjoy adjusting your own images. However, my biggest gripe is that you can’t fully control the final result.
While you can edit various aspects yourself and finetune what you’re given, it’s very difficult to get precisely what you want if you’re aiming for a specific style. For this reason, I do not rely on AI editing for the bulk of my work. Instead, I’ve found that it’s better for fixing issues (I especially likeLightroom’s AI toolsfor this) and getting an idea of a possible final result.
If you’re a total beginner, this probably won’t bother you too much. But as you become more experienced, you’ll want more control over how your pictures look.
2AI Photo Editors Sometimes Make Mistakes
Another big problem with AI photo editors is that many people see them as flawless. This is an issue that I see with AI in general; for example, some people think that just the first ChatGPT answer will be perfect.
I can give you one specific example related to an AI photo editor. Earlier in 2024, I was editing some pictures from my trip to Iceland. I used a tool to fix the mistakes in my picture, however, there was a very clear defect in some of the buildings and I therefore decided to start from scratch.
Like all other forms of AI, you should look at photo editors of this kind more as a tool. They will occasionally make mistakes, so you shouldn’t 100% rely on them. Consider alsoavoiding these mistakes when you use generative AI tools.
3AI Photo Editors Aren’t Good for Learning How to Edit Photos
Learning how to use photo editing software takes years of trial and error. Although I made a lot of mistakes early in my photography journey, I’m glad I did because they made me a much better editor. While I do think that everyone needs to go through a phase of hitting the “Auto” tab and taking those edits as they are, I also think you need to move beyond that point eventually.
When you edit your photos, you’ll naturally learn how each slider works with enough time. You’ll also find out how to use features like color grading. If you’re relying on a one-click editor, you will miss out on this learning curve.
Whether this point matters to you will ultimately depend on long-term goals. If you just want to quickly edit your smartphone pictures, it might not be a big deal. But if you’d like to take your photography further, knowing how to fully use your software provides a significant advantage.
4Limited Features
Okay, so this problem somewhat ties into what I just mentioned. Compared to photo editing software that doesn’t solely revolve around AI, I feel like AI photo editors are limited in their features. Many will provide functions like automatic adjustments and sky replacements, but it doesn’t seem like they have the depth to give you maximum editing control.
In my opinion, the best option is to have a photo editing tool that has both manual and AI features; the best of both worlds. For example,Lightroom and Photoshop both have AI featuresalongside their other offerings.
If you do go for an AI photo editor, make sure that it at least has the tools you know that you’ll need. You might also want to use more than one solution, but just make sure that you don’t overwhelm yourself.
5AI Photo Editors Can Make Your Images Look Fake
This could admittedly be the result of spending most of my time each day around photos and talking about photography, but I can very easily tell if something has been generated with AI. The same goes for articles that have been written with AI but not edited whatsoever.
When using AI photo editors, I have sometimes noticed that my pictures no longer look very real. They often look far too smooth, and if you don’t know how to use the software properly, you might also find discrepancies (e.g., not selecting the whole element when trying to replace it).
Most of the time, you can mitigate this problem bylearning how to promptand better select areas of your image. But even then, understand that you might not get the realistic results you’re looking for.
No editor, whether it uses AI or not, can correct issues with your photos beyond a certain point. For example, if your picture looks too blurry, it’s better to cut your losses and try again.
The reason why I’m saying this is because a lot of photographers look at editing software as a way to correct any and every issue. The ideal scenario is that you get as much right in-camera as you’re able to, and your editing software is simply for making the final adjustments. It doesn’t always work that way, but you should still aim for this to happen more often than not.
7AI Photo Editors Lack the Human Touch
Finding your photography styletakes years (and in some cases, decades). To reach this point, you must learn how to use your software and camera in a way that makes your images unique. So, if you solely rely on AI photo editors, I think that you’ll struggle to stand out.
One problem with AI is that everything it produces has the same tone—this is also the case with AI photo editors. Again, this is fine if you’re a casual editor—but if not, you should look to add your own human touch. Think about what you really want your image to look like and make further tweaks based on that.
Despite my objections to AI photo editing, I do think that they have several advantages if you use them correctly. The most important thing is to remember that they aren’t the be-all and end-all. You also need to know their limitations and prepare for possible mishaps to occur with your images.
