**Black Forest Labs’ Kontext AI Edits & Generates Pics**

Black Forest Labs, the AI startup behind the image-generation features of X’s Grok chatbot, has unveiled a new AI model capable of both generating and editing images. The latest offering, Flux.1 Kontext, allows users to create and refine images using text prompts and reference images.

### Key Features of Flux.1 Kontext
The model boasts photorealistic rendering, strong prompt adherence, and fast processing speeds—reportedly 8x faster than leading competitors. It comes in two versions:

– Flux.1 Kontext [Pro]: Supports multi-step refinements while preserving character and style consistency.
– Flux.1 Kontext [Max]: Optimized for speed and strict prompt compliance.

Unlike previous models, these versions are not available for offline use. However, Black Forest Labs has introduced Flux.1 Kontext [Dev], a private beta version for research and safety testing.

### Competitive AI Image Generation Landscape
The release comes amid fierce competition in AI-powered image generation. Google recently launched Imagen 4, while OpenAI introduced an advanced model capable of mimicking Studio Ghibli’s art style.

### Access and Availability
A model playground is now available, allowing users to test the AI without third-party sign-ups. New users receive 200 credits, enough for approximately 12 image generations with Flux.1 Kontext [Pro].

### Company Background
Black Forest Labs, founded by ex-Stability AI members, is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Brendan Iribe (Oculus), and Garry Tan (Y Combinator). The company has been expanding its AI offerings, including an enterprise API, following a reported $100M funding round last year.

This latest innovation reinforces Black Forest Labs’ position in the rapidly evolving AI image-generation space.