Section 2: Image/audio
Module 3 — Generative AI 101
Section 2: Image and Audio Generation
Purpose of This Section
This section explains how generative AI creates images and audio, and why these outputs can feel more impressive, and more misleading, than text.
Many people assume images and voices are recordings or remixes. They are not.
Conjugo focuses on how these systems work so users don’t confuse realism with truth.
The Core Idea
When AI generates images or audio, it is not retrieving existing pictures or recordings.
It is generating new outputs based on learned patterns, the same way it generates text.
The difference is the medium, not the logic.
How Image Generation Works (Plain Language)
Image models learn from massive numbers of images and descriptions.
They learn:
- shapes
- colors
- textures
- visual relationships
When you give a prompt, the system predicts what pixels should appear where in order to match the description.
It is assembling a picture from probability, not copying a photograph.
Why AI Images Can Look So Real
AI-generated images often look realistic because:
- they match familiar visual patterns
- they follow photographic conventions
- they reproduce lighting and perspective well
Realism does not mean the image represents something that ever existed.
The system is optimizing for believability, not truth.
How Audio and Voice Generation Works
Audio generation follows the same principle.
Models learn from patterns in:
- speech
- tone
- rhythm
- pronunciation
When generating audio, the system predicts sound waves that match the requested voice or style.
It does not understand emotion. It does not intend meaning.
It produces audio that sounds right.
Why This Matters at Work
Generated images and audio feel persuasive.
That creates risks:
- fabricated visuals used as evidence
- synthetic voices mistaken for real people
- over-trust in realistic media
At work, this affects:
- marketing
- training materials
- internal communications
- public-facing content
Understanding generation helps prevent misuse.
Common Misunderstandings
AI-generated images are not:
- photographs
- recordings
- proof of events
They are simulations built from patterns.
This matters when accuracy, authenticity, or consent are involved.
Appropriate Uses
Image and audio generation are best used for:
- concept mockups
- illustrative visuals
- narration drafts
- accessibility support
They should not be treated as documentation of reality.
Section Takeaway
- Image and audio generation use the same logic as text
- Outputs are newly generated, not retrieved
- Realism does not equal reality
- Human judgment is required before use
Understanding this keeps creative tools from becoming credibility risks.
This concludes Section 2.