DALL·E (stylized DALL·E) is a family of text-to-image models developed by OpenAI that translate written prompts into original images across a wide range of styles — from photorealistic renders to illustrations, paintings, icons, and more. Over successive versions the system improved prompt understanding, object and attribute binding, and the ability to generate legible text within images; later releases emphasized tighter integration with conversational interfaces so users can iteratively craft prompts and refine outputs.

Main features include text-to-image generation from detailed prompts, inpainting/editing (modifying parts of an existing image while preserving context), outpainting (extending images beyond their original borders), and generation of multiple variations. Integration with conversational agents (notably ChatGPT) allows interactive prompt refinement, example-based edits, and faster iteration for designs, storyboards, concept art, marketing visuals, product mockups, and educational illustrations. The tool also includes safety and content filters to reduce harmful or disallowed outputs and typically embeds provenance metadata to indicate images were AI-generated.

Typical use cases span creative professionals (illustrators, designers, concept artists), marketers and content creators who need rapid visual assets, educators and researchers generating illustrative material, and developers integrating image-generation into applications via the OpenAI API. The audience ranges from casual users experimenting inside ChatGPT’s interface to enterprises and developers who rely on API access and higher throughput for production workflows. While DALL·E enables powerful creative capabilities, users should be aware of usage limits on free tiers, terms of use around copyrighted material and public figures, and the need to review outputs for accuracy and appropriateness before commercial or public use.