50 AI image statistics and trends for 2025 | Photoroom

Top AI image editing statistics for 2025

Let’s start with a roundup of headline-making statistics related to AI tools and AI-enabled image editing.

The global AI market is worth around $279 billion as of 2024. That increased from around $80 billion in 2023. (GrandViewResearch)
The global AI market is expected to reach an eye-watering $1.811 trillion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37.3%. (GrandViewResearch)
As of 2023, North America accounts for about 31% of the global AI market. The United States, specifically, is expected to lead global markets in terms of revenue up until at least 2030. (GrandViewResearch)
In the short term, business analysts estimate that the United States AI market alone will reach nearly $300 billion by 2026. (Global Industry Analytics Inc.)
The market size for AI image editors, specifically, was estimated at $80.3 million in 2024. (Future Market Insights Inc.)
The enterprise user segment (i.e. larger businesses) for AI image editing are growing at the fastest rate, and will make up roughly 42.30% of the total market share in 2024. (Future Market Insights Inc.)
58% of respondents in a recent Pincel survey said that they’re already using AI in photo editing on a regular basis, mostly because it saves them time. (Pincel)

These statistics give you a clear picture of the current and future scope of the AI market, and where AI image editing, in particular, falls within that landscape. The rest of this article will expand on that analysis, starting with a macro picture of the AI marketing, and drilling down to the statistics about adoption and usage of AI image editing and generation tools.

General AI statistics

Not to re-state the obvious, but the hype around AI is very real. And the market is very large. Just look at the sheer volume of AI tools available today or, even more telling, products that now tout AI as a core feature for their users. AI is everywhere, and that hype train shows no signs of slowing down.

Here’s what that looks like macro-economically.

The global AI market in 2024 was worth $279 billion, increasing from a “measly” $80 billion in 2023. That’s a 28.67% jump in total market value in a single year. Not too shabby. (GrandViewResearch)
That increase, according to market watchers, is primarily due to a rapid increase in practical uses for AI technology. It’s used in virtually all product segments and industries, ranging from supply chain management to self-driving cars, to content creation. (GrandViewResearch)
While the global AI market is already huge, we’re just getting started. That $279 billion market value this year is expected to hit $1.811 trillion (with a “T”) by 2040. That’s a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of a very healthy 37.3%. (GrandViewResearch)
The Generative AI market alone, which is a subset of this macro market that we’re talking about, was valued at $66 billion in 2023, and is expected to reach $207 billion by 2030. (Tech Report)
From a balance sheet perspective, the AI software market currently pulls in around $100 billion per year in revenue as of 2024. And, you guessed it, that’s growing too. (Omidia)
AI app revenue, a subset of that wider AI software market, is expected to hit $18.8 billion by 2028. (Business of Apps)
Hardware makers, like the Nvidia’s of the world, are cashing in big as a result of this torrid growth rate. Worldwide AI chip manufacturing revenue is expected to hit $83.25 billion by 2027. (The Insight Partners)
Businesses, too, are betting big on the impact of AI. 9 in 10 surveyed organizations believe that AI will give them a competitive edge over their rivals, and are therefore investing big in these tools. (MIT Sloan Management)
Companies also expect AI to improve employee productivity by 40% in the coming years (PWC).

It’s worth noting that, when we talk about the “AI market,” we’re talking about a vast network of physical and digital technologies, built for a wide range of use cases. AI is just the overarching term we use for an extremely diverse range of technologies that enable everything from automations to generative creativity to autonomous vehicles.

Fortune Business Insight illustrates how this macro AI market breaks down into three primary segments below.

Software/platform AI, as you see, makes up 65.5% of the total AI market. In this article, we’re focussing on an even smaller subset of that chunk of the AI pie—AI image editing and generation.

Like we said, it’s a vast and complex market. Let’s zero in on the image part of it (the part we love most).

AI image editing market size

Let’s start with the AI image editing market. This is where companies like Canva, Photoshop, Pixlr, and—you guessed it—Photoroom plays.

As of 2024, the AI image editor market was estimated to be worth around $80.3 million. (Future Market Insights Inc.)
That market size is expected to grow to $219.9 million by 2034, increasing at a comfortable CAGR of 10.50% over the next decade or so. (Future Market Insights Inc.)
AI image editors and generators were the fastest growing category on G2 in 2024, with a 441% year-over-year growth rate. Second place went to AI chatbots, which saw a 252% growth rate. (Statista)

The AI image editing market, as you can see, is quite a bit smaller than the macro AI environment that we profiled above. It is, however, growing rapidly, driven by a similar set of factors to other types of AI products—efficiency, speed, and quality of output.

AI image editing adoption and growth

Adoption of AI image editing software, like the wider market, is also accelerating at a year-over-year rate, with uptake from both individuals and businesses.

From a board productivity perspective, 4 in 5 surveyed companies have said that AI is a top priority in their business strategies, with applications across various departments and job roles. (Forbes)
A whopping 83% of companies say that using AI in their business strategies is a top priority going forward. (Forbes)
According to a recent survey from Pincel, 58% of respondents said that they’re already using AI in photo editing, mostly because it saves a significant amount of time. (Pincel)
The enterprise user segment for AI image editing is gaining popularity, and will make up 42.30% of the total market share for these apps in 2024. (Future Market Insights Inc.)
Growth in the AI editing space is a global phenomenon, with the following countries seeing the highest CAGR: United States (7.40%), China (11.0%), Germany (2.00%), Japan (3.30%), Australia (14.00%). (Future Market Insights Inc.)

AI image generator market size and usage statistics

AI image generators represent the other major movement in AI-driven photography and image creation. These are generative AI tools, like DALL-E 3 or Midjourney, that use text-based prompts to create entirely new images.

AI image generation may also include creating new objects within an existing image, or expanding an image outside of its original borders. In all cases, gen AI is the driving technology behind these new creations.

The AI image generation market was estimated at $299.2 million in 2023. (Fortune Business Insights)
By 2024, it's expected to reach $917.4 million, increasing at a CAGR of 17.4%. (Fortune Business Insights)
An estimated 34 million new AI-generated images are created daily. (Tech Report)
Roughly 71% of images shared on social media are AI-generated. (Capgemini Research Institute)
As of April 2024, 20% of Americans were using AI to generate images and videos. (Statista)
When surveyed about their usage of AI generation platforms, 56% of respondents said they enjoyed the experience, and 34% shared that it's better than human-created art. (YouGov)

Key players in AI image editing and creation

Like with the rest of the AI market, there are dozens of significant players in both the AI image editing and AI image generation markets. This section highlights some of them, ranking them based on revenue, app downloads, and innovation in the market.

Key innovation leaders

When looking at the AI image editing and creation market, the following names usually come up in conversation. These are innovation leaders in the space, and currently eat up a large chunk of market space.

Adobe. A giant in the creative software world, Adobe continues to harness AI for smarter, more intuitive photo editing experiences.
Canva. While primarily known as a design tool, Canva integrates AI to enhance image quality and provide smart editing options to its vast user base.
Clipdrop. A unique platform, Clipdrop uses augmented reality and AI to let users capture and drop real objects into their digital designs.
FlairAI. Tapping into the power of AI, FlairAI offers intelligent image enhancement, ensuring optimized visuals for different platforms.
Photoroom. Offering accessible and innovative AI-driven solutions, Photoroom helps creators, brands, and businesses transform ordinary images into professional-quality photos in just a few seconds.
DALL-E. Using deep learning, DALL-E generates digital images from natural language descriptions, called "prompts".
RemoveBG. This platform offers swift background removals using AI, simplifying a traditionally tedious task.
RunwayML. An intersection of creativity and machine learning, RunwayML offers tools and platforms for artists and creators to experiment with AI in their projects.

Drilling deeper into specific types of AI image tools gives different perspectives and insights into the market. Below are some additional statistics about key players by revenue and download volume.

Top AI photo editing players by monthly in-app revenue (2024)

The following chart shows in-app revenue per month for the top players in AI photo editing.

Canva ($8.745 million)
Facetune ($4.759 million)
Remini ($3.215 million)
Picstart ($2.524 million)
Lightroom ($1.572 million)
Photoroom ($1.223 million)
Airbrush ($1.194 million)

Note: These figures are recent to January 2024.

Top AI photo editing players by monthly downloads

The following chart shows a rough projection of downloads per month for top AI photo editing players in the United States.

Canva (943,966)
Picsart 821,590)
Photoroom (708,666)
Lightroom (572,071)
Future Baby Generator (559,030)
Retake AI (504,654)
Remini (475,763)

Note: These figures are a snapshot of downloads in July 2024.

Recent developments from those key players

Like with everything in AI, the image editing and generation sub-market moves quickly. Snapshots like those above are helpful, but it’s also essential to follow key developments in the industry to get an idea where the market is going.

Here are some recent and notable news from the industry’s key players:

Adobe Firefly, one of the fastest growing AI image generators, reached 1 billion images created just three months after its launch. Expect this tool to continue to be a major player in this space.(Adobe)
In 2024, Adobe also launched a beta version of its content creation app, Adobe Express, on Android and iOS. This app offers AI image editing and creation tools on desktops and mobile devices. (Adobe)
Midjourney, a key player in AI image generation, currently has 15 million users, making it the largest user base amongst this type of platform for which publicly available stats exist. It receives about 20 to 40 jobs per section, and has between 1.5 and 2.5 million active members at any given time. (Midjourney)
In 2024, Apple researchers unveiled a new AI-powered photo editing tool called MGIE, which is designed to help users enhance their images with minimal effort using machine learning. (Apple)
In 2024, Photoroom, a photo editing platform for businesses, announced the launch of its next-generation AI-powered photo editor following the successful completion of a USD 43 million funding round. (Photoroom)

This is just a small sampling of what’s been happening in the AI photo editing and generation space. Blink and you’ll miss the next wave of developments. Expect this lightning fast innovation and company growth to continue into the future.

How companies are using AI photo editing and generation

The applications for AI photo editing and generation are numerous and varied, ranging from individual and occasional use, to high-volume, enterprise-grade image manipulation. This technology has applications across a wide variety of consumer niches and industries.

Two that are seeing particularly strong uptake are marketing and ecommerce. Let’s explore some stats.

AI in marketing

60% of marketers say that AI helps them in their daily tasks—from automating routine tasks to generating content ideas and analyzing campaign data. (Hubspot)
Salesforce found that 75% of surveyed marketers are either experimenting with or have fully integrated AI into their workflows. (Salesforce)
Adobe found that 83% of surveyed creative professionals use generative AI in their work, and 20% reported that their employers or clients require the use of gen AI in some form. (Adobe)
According to a Salesforce study, 62% of marketers say that they currently use gen AI to create new image assets, and 76% use it for basic content creation. (Salesforce)
According to Hubspot, content marketers are using generative AI to get ideas and inspiration (22%), summarize text into key points (21%), write copy for marketing content (20%), create images (20%), and create outlines (18%). (Hubspot)

AI in ecommerce

AI enabled ecommerce was valued at $7.57 billion in 2024, and is expected to hit $22.6 billion by 2032. (Precedence Research)
80% of retail executives expect their businesses to adopt AI automation by 2025. (Analytics Insight)
Retail companies spent the second most of any industry on AI tools in 2023, trailing only the banking industry. Total spend was estimated at $19.71 billion globally. (Statista)
14% of ecommerce shops reported using AI for image manipulation or pattern recognition. (Statista)
67% of surveyed consumers expected brands to disclose when AI was used to create product pictures. (Statista)
A Hootsuite survey found that 62% of consumers are comfortable with brands using gen AI in their advertising, as long as it doesn't negatively impact their overall experience. (Hootsuite)

The future of AI photo editing

According to Mathieu Rouif, Photoroom’s CEO, AI photo editing tools have grown from simple background remover tools to autopilots that can supplement human creativity across editing, styling, and content generation tasks.

What we’re seeing from the statistics highlighted in this article is that consumers and businesses are in the midst of a full-blow adoption of AI-driven photo editing and creation tools, but there is still a lot of growth to come. The AI market as a whole is on a torrid growth pace, and so are the constellation of sub-markets under that umbrella.

A convergence of technological innovation and user literacy are likely behind this growth. As apps become more powerful and easier to use, and as users become comfortable with integrating them into daily tasks, adoption will soar and the creative output will evolve.

“The biggest breakthrough of the past few years is certainly image generation models like Photoroom's or Dall-E from OpenAI ,” says Eliot Andres , co-founder and CTO at Photoroom. “This has unleashed a new wave of creativity where people can compose images that would have taken months to shoot in real life."

Alongside this wave is photo editing suites like Photoroom, which dramatically lower the barrier for advanced image editing and updates. Users can quickly remove backgrounds and replace them with entirely new compositions. They can resize images for a variety of platforms, edit images in bulk, and remove unwanted objects—all within a few minutes and with a few taps.

The full scope of these tools, and the creative possibilities they’ve unleashed, is just getting started, and the landscape will likely look significantly different by 2030.

To keep up, Eliot recommends following artists and content creators who use these platforms, and are pushing new frontiers of creative innovation.

"I'd recommend following generative artists on Twitter, Reddit, or YouTube,” says Eliot. “These artists are at the forefront of what's possible with technology, pushing the limits. You can also download Photoroom and subscribe to our newsletter. We're always showcasing upcoming features."

In the meantime, we encourage anyone who hasn’t tried Photoroom yet to give it a spin and see the power of AI photo editing for yourself. You can try it free through the App Store, Google Play, or on desktop.

Brendan McConnellI write about ecommerce photography and image editing tips.