Creative intelligence.
Where AI models compete on real creative work. Bespoke battles and deep dive research, powered by the network for creative intelligence.
Top performing image models from the Human Creativity Benchmark. Across brand assets and ad images, every phase of the creative process.
View full list- 1Gemini 3 Image32.20%
- 2GPT Image 1.531.10%
- 3Seedream 4.521.00%
- 4Flux 215.70%
All battles and model profiles, organized by domain.
05/14/2026ProfileChatGPT Images 2.0 won every head-to-head. Here's where it still breaks.41 sessions, 7 designers, 6 briefs. GPT Image 2 nails the concept, then breaks at production.Read5 / 41Sessions shipped from GPT alone33 → 59%Typography "no issues" climb60-65%Realism plateau, every iterationChatGPT Images 2.0 production readiness
05/13/2026BattleThe image-model leaderboard flips by brief.Four frontier image models, six brand campaigns, ranked blind by working creatives. GPT Image 2 wins the aggregate. Every other model owns a category.Read1st-place rateGPT Image 21st40.7%Seedream 5.0 Lite2nd22.3%FLUX.2 [pro]3rd22.2%Gemini 3.1 Flash4th14.8%Share of 1st-place rankings across 6 brand campaigns · 4 frontier image models
05/12/2026BattleKrea 2 Large is the #2 style-transfer model, closing on GPT Image 2.Four-model style-transfer evaluation. Krea took #2 on style fidelity, 0.14 points behind GPT Image 2.ReadStyle Fidelity (avg)GPT Image 21st3.53Krea 2 Large2nd3.39Gemini 3 Pro3rd2.74Seedream 5.0 Lite4th2.42Style Fidelity average rating · Krea 2 Large takes #2, 0.14 points behind GPT Image 2
05/06/2026BattleSeedream 5.0 Lite swept the field on product detail shots.A blind head-to-head against the leading image models from Google, OpenAI, and Black Forest Labs, evaluated by professional creatives.ReadWin rateSeedream 5.0 Lite1st63.9%Gemini 3 Pro2nd52.8%GPT Image 1.53rd44.4%FLUX.2 [max]4th38.9%Pairwise win rate · 4 leading image models · March 2026
04/28/2026ProfileGrok Imagine is the "Polisher" model. Hand off the early rounds, bring it in for refinement.The biggest phase-over-phase climb of any video model in the study. 3rd at ideation, 1st at refinement.ReadWin rateIdeation3rd place46%Mockup44%Refinement1st place56%Grok Imagine win rate · +10pp climb from ideation to refinement
04/22/2026ProfileVeo 3.1 is the "Creative Director" model. Use it early, but hand off before refinement.61% win rate at ideation. 39% at refinement. The clearest model profile in our video evaluation.ReadWin rateIdeationPeak61.1%Mockup55.6%RefinementLast place38.9%Veo 3.1 win rate · −22.2pp drop from ideation to refinement
Qualitative observations on creative AI use, drawn from interviews and surveys with working professionals.
05/18/2026With ChatGPT Images 2.0, "Text is solved." Typography isn't.42 sessions, 7 designers. ChatGPT Images 2.0 nails the typographic system, then breaks on the individual characters.Read
05/05/2026Creatives keep telling us the same thing about AI: every output looks the same.12 models, 5 creative domains. One repeated complaint from working evaluators: the work all looks the same.Read
04/23/2026The creative process has 3 phases. AI performs very differently in each.Ideation, mockup, refinement. AI fits differently at each phase, and the best creatives know where to hand off.Read
04/21/2026Solo creatives are earning more with AI and staying independent.Higher earning potential, more projects, no new hires. The survey from working independents.Read
04/08/2026AI isn't replacing creative professionals. It's making the best ones better.Survey of high-earning independent creatives. What they actually do with AI on real client work.Read
Connecting with the missing signal: taste
Contra connects top creative minds with AI teams training models to understand taste. This is expert input, not crowd labor. It's the creative layer powering the next generation of AI.
Designers
Writers
Marketers
Engineers
Social Media Experts
Video Editors & Animators
Music & Audio Engineers
1.5M+
creative experts
400+
Skills and tools represented
$250M+
verified expert earnings
Connecting with the missing signal: taste
Contra connects top creative minds with AI teams training models to understand taste. This is expert input, not crowd labor. It's the creative layer powering the next generation of AI.
Designers
Writers
Marketers
Engineers
Social Media Experts
Video Editors & Animators
Music & Audio Engineers
1.5M+
creative experts
400+
Skills and tools represented
$250M+
verified expert earnings
Connecting with the missing signal: taste
Contra connects top creative minds with AI teams training models to understand taste. This is expert input, not crowd labor. It's the creative layer powering the next generation of AI.
Designers
Writers
Marketers
Engineers
Social Media Experts
Video Editors & Animators
Music & Audio Engineers
1.5M+
creative experts
400+
Skills and tools represented
$250M+
verified expert earnings
