❯ OpenAI launches ChatGPT Images 2.5 with up to 50% lower latency, sketch input and on-image comments

Image updateOpenAI released Images 2.5 on September 8, claiming up to 50% lower image-generation latency than Images 2.0. The update covers ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work and Codex across desktop, mobile and web, emphasizing reference-subject preservation, targeted changes and consistency across repeated edits.

Targeted changesThe new Sketch feature lets people draw their intended composition before generating a finished image, while on-image comments identify where changes should go. OpenAI says successive edits are more likely to retain previously approved details, alongside improvements to lighting, textures and complex layouts. For poster and product-image creators, avoiding unintended changes can be more useful than a prettier first result.

Two API optionsThe API adds Flare and Sunburst. Flare emphasizes quality, editing and speed; Sunburst targets work requiring greater precision, with longer generation times. These are distinct product trade-offs. Users should not assume the fastest latency and greatest precision apply to the same call, and should test their own assets before integrating.

Production workflowContent production teams can repeatedly edit the same people or products to check whether backgrounds, text and subject details remain stable. End-to-end time costs fall only if rework declines alongside latency. Official demonstrations show the direction, but longer text, brand details and consistency across batches still require individual checks.

▪ SIGNALImage-workflow efficiency depends on both generation time and rework; preserving approved details across edits is closer to production needs than a single speed figure.