AI image model release timeline
Every major AI image generation model release, in order. Updated as new models ship.
Also see: Video model timeline
2026
Closed
Nano Banana 2Google DeepMind
Closed
Recraft V4Recraft AI
Closed
Qwen-Image-2.0Alibaba (QwenLM)
Open weights
MultimodalClosed
Z-ImageAlibaba (Tongyi-MAI)
Open weights
HunyuanImage 3.0 InstructTencent
Open weights
2025
Qwen-Image-2512Alibaba (QwenLM)
Open weights
Z-Image-TurboAlibaba (Tongyi-MAI)
Open weights
Nano Banana ProGoogle DeepMind
Closed
HunyuanImage 3.0Tencent
Open weights
HunyuanImage 2.1Tencent
Open weights
Seedream 4.0ByteDance
Closed
Qwen-ImageAlibaba (QwenLM)
Open weights
Nano BananaGoogle DeepMind
Closed
Imagen 4Google DeepMind
Closed
gpt-image-1 (API)OpenAI
Closed
Ideogram 3.0Ideogram
Closed
Midjourney v7Midjourney
Closed
Seedream 3.0ByteDance
Closed
Closed
2024
Closed
Seedream 2.0ByteDance
Closed
Recraft V3Recraft AI
Closed
Stable Diffusion 3.5 LargeStability AI
Open weights
Adobe Firefly 3Adobe
Closed
FLUX 1.1 [pro]Black Forest Labs
Closed
Imagen 3Google DeepMind
Closed
Ideogram 2.0Ideogram
Closed
FLUX.1 [pro]Black Forest Labs
Closed
FLUX.1 [schnell]Black Forest Labs
Open weights
FLUX.1 [dev]Black Forest Labs
Open weights
Midjourney v6.1Midjourney
Closed
HunyuanDiT 1.2Tencent
Open weights
Stable Diffusion 3 MediumStability AI
Open weights
HunyuanDiT 1.0Tencent
Open weights
Recraft V2Recraft AI
Closed
2023
Midjourney v6Midjourney
Closed
Imagen 2Google DeepMind
Closed
Adobe Firefly 2Adobe
Closed
DALL-E 3OpenAI
Closed
Ideogram 1.0Ideogram
Closed
Stable Diffusion XL 1.0Stability AI
Open weights
Tongyi Wanxiang 1.0Alibaba Cloud
Closed
Midjourney v5.2Midjourney
Closed
Midjourney v5.1Midjourney
Closed
Adobe Firefly 1Adobe
Closed
Midjourney v5Midjourney
Closed
2022
Stable Diffusion 2.1Stability AI
Open weights
Stable Diffusion 2.0Stability AI
Open weights
Midjourney v4Midjourney
Closed
Stable Diffusion 1.5Stability AI
Open weights
Stable Diffusion 1.0Stability AI
Open weights
Midjourney v3Midjourney
Closed
Imagen 1Google DeepMind
Closed
Midjourney v2Midjourney
Closed
DALL-E 2OpenAI
Closed
Midjourney v1Midjourney
Closed