AI image and video generation – tools for marketing

AI image and video generation means creating a visual, short video or talking avatar from a text prompt in minutes. For a small business it pays off mainly for illustrations, ad banner variants and short social videos. It is not yet suited to real product photos, logos or visuals you need to protect legally.

In brief:

• For images, ChatGPT, Gemini or Canva are enough for most businesses; Midjourney and Adobe Firefly suit demanding visuals.
• Video tools come in three types: scene generators, voice avatars and short-clip tools (AI reels makers).
• Czech courts and the US Copyright Office agree: a purely AI image is not protected by copyright.
• Since 2 August 2026 the EU AI Act requires disclosing deepfakes, so always label realistic AI people and scenes.

What AI graphics can do and where they fail

AI graphics fit where you need many variants fast and detail matters less:

• Article and newsletter illustrations instead of stock photos.
• Banner and background variants for A/B testing ads.
• Moodboards and drafts before a photo shoot.
• Photo edits: background removal, frame extension, new settings.

Weak spots: generators alter product details (shape, label, colour), struggle with logos and longer text, and spoil hands or faces. Edit a real product photo instead of generating one.

AI image generators compared (as of October 2026)

Midjourney also requires Pro or Mega for companies with over $1 million in annual gross revenue. Adobe trains Firefly models on Adobe Stock and public-domain content; partner models in the app (Google, OpenAI, Runway) are not covered. More on ChatGPT in our ChatGPT guide.

AI video generators, avatars and reels makers

Video from a prompt

In the Gemini app, the Gemini Omni model replaced Veo: it makes clips of up to 10 seconds with sound and needs a Google AI subscription. Runway combines its own Gen-4.5 model with third-party models (Kling, Seedance); the free plan has 125 one-time credits and Standard costs $15 a month (as of October 2026). OpenAI shut down the Sora app on 26 April 2026 and the Sora API on 24 September 2026.

Avatars and voice

Synthesia turns a script into a talking-avatar video (140+ languages and voices); the free plan adds a watermark and Starter costs $29 a month. For voice-over, ElevenLabs covers dozens of languages. Avatars suit training and product explainers, less so ads.

AI reels maker: short social videos

An AI reels maker turns a long video or script into a short vertical clip with captions. OpusClip picks the strongest moments from webinars (see AI tools for business), CapCut builds a video from a script and Canva has a Text to Video feature. For your content plan, see our social media marketing guide.

How to create an AI campaign visual in 6 steps

Illustrative example: a fictional coffee e-shop planning an autumn campaign.

1. 1Brief: channel, format (1:1, 9:16, 16:9), message and what must not appear.
2. 2Prompt: describe the scene, light, style and composition (how to write prompts), for example `Photorealistic cup of coffee on a wooden table by a window, autumn morning light, warm tones, empty space left for text, 4:5, no text or logos`.
3. 3Variants: generate 4–8 drafts and pick the best 2–3.
4. 4Product and brand: insert the real packaging photo by editing or in a design tool; add logo and text by hand.
5. 5Check: hands, details, similarity to others’ work or brands, the tool’s licence terms.
6. 6Archive: save the prompt, tool and date for disputes and style consistency.

Copyright and licensing of AI images

Rules vary by country but point the same way. Under Czech law only a natural person can be an author; the Prague Municipal Court (10 C 13/2023, 11 October 2023) ruled that an AI-generated image is not a copyrighted work and a prompt is at most an unprotected idea. The US Copyright Office (2025) agrees: human edits, selection and arrangement can be protected.

What this means for a business:

• Competitors can reuse a purely AI visual and copyright will not stop them. Have a person design core brand elements (logo, mascot).
• The tool’s terms define your rights: OpenAI assigns its rights in outputs to you, Midjourney says you own your images, and Canva warns rights may not be exclusive.
• You are liable for infringing others’ rights: avoid artists’ names, famous characters, other brands and real people’s likeness without consent.

Labelling AI content under the EU AI Act

Article 50 of the AI Act has applied since 2 August 2026. Tool providers must mark outputs in a machine-readable way (systems already on the market by 2 December 2026). For businesses publishing AI content in the EU, two duties matter most:

• Deepfakes: images, audio or video resembling real people, places or events that could pass as authentic must be disclosed as artificially generated. For evidently artistic or satirical work, a discreet notice is enough.
• AI-generated text on matters of public interest must be disclosed unless it was human-reviewed and someone holds editorial responsibility.

On 10 June 2026 the European Commission published a voluntary code of practice and EU icons. YouTube asks you to set “AI use” for realistic uploads and Meta adds an “AI info” label. In practice, always label realistic AI people and scenes, keep metadata, and consult a lawyer on sensitive campaigns.

AI vs a photographer or designer

A consistent look comes from your brand identity, not a generator. Leave the logo and templates to a graphic designer; use AI for volume and variants.

When to bring in a specialist

You can handle individual visuals yourself. A specialist pays off for regular production: prompt templates, brand rules, approvals and an output archive. We use AI tools daily at our agency and build such workflows within our AI solutions for business. Describe your situation via our contact form.