OpenAI has recently introduced a groundbreaking update: the new GPT image model, now accessible via API. I created an automation that fully streamlines the process of creating infographic-style images for social media and blogs using n8n. This article will take you through the steps to set up this automation, allowing you to save time while producing engaging visual content.
Connecting to OpenAI’s Image Model in n8n
To get started, the first thing you need to do is create an account on the OpenAI Platform. After signing up, you’ll have to add a payment method and verify your identity. This step involves uploading a photo and an ID card, ensuring that the model is used responsibly. Once your ID is verified, you’ll gain access to the image model.
Within the OpenAI playground, you can provide prompts to generate infographics. However, for this automation, we need to utilize the API. In the documentation, you’ll find the create image section, which we will use to trigger image generation.
Next, create a new workflow in n8n. For now, we’ll use the standard HTTP request module since the OpenAI node isn’t available yet. Copy the example request from the documentation and paste it into n8n by importing a curl command. You will then need to add your OpenAI API key.
Once you have the API key, you can configure the request node with various parameters, including the model and prompt. If you encounter errors during testing, use JSON directly instead of the fields provided.
After you receive a response, it will be a base64 representation of the image. To view it, you’ll need to convert this string into a binary file. I recommend using the Base64 node to handle this conversion.
Building a Social Media Automation
Now that the image model is set up, let’s create a social media automation that generates infographics based on real-time news. This workflow can run on a schedule, fetching the latest news from specific niches or industries at set intervals.
To begin, set a schedule trigger in n8n. This allows the automation to run daily at a specified time. Then, I use Jina, a free deep search tool, to retrieve relevant news articles. This tool provides quick access to grounded answers based on your queries.
For instance, I might ask Jina to review the Irish real estate market news over the past week. After running the workflow, Jina returns insights that I can utilize for social media posts.
Once I have the news, I move to the next step: generating posts for Twitter and LinkedIn. By using an AI agent, I can create engaging content that summarizes the news while also generating prompts for infographic images.
Creating Engaging Posts
When generating posts, I instruct the AI to act as a social media expert. It reviews the news story and crafts concise posts for both platforms. Moreover, it generates prompts for infographic images that will visually represent the data.
Afterward, I connect this to the OpenAI image model to generate the infographic based on the prompts created. The goal is to ensure that the image aligns with the text, providing a cohesive message to the audience.
Implementing a Human-in-the-Loop Approval System
While AI can produce excellent content, I like to incorporate a human-in-the-loop system for quality control. This feature allows me to review the generated images and posts before they go live. I chose Slack for this part of the workflow, where I can receive notifications about the content created.
In Slack, I can approve or regenerate images if they don’t meet my standards. This process ensures that the content published on Twitter and LinkedIn maintains a high quality.
Once I approve the content, it is automatically published to both platforms. This automation saves time and ensures that my posts are visually appealing and informative.
Blog Post Automation
Beyond social media, I extended this automation to my blogging system. By integrating the OpenAI image model, I can generate infographics that are directly embedded in my articles. This capability enhances the reader’s experience by providing visual context to the content.
For instance, I can create an article about the latest trends in the stock market. After inputting the article title into my blogging system, I use the agentic researcher to conduct deep searches and generate an outline for the article.
Once the outline is ready, I trigger the article generation process. The system fetches relevant internal links and images, all while embedding AI-generated infographics directly into the text. This seamless integration allows for a richer reading experience.
Using tools like Pixabay for stock images, my workflow not only creates compelling articles but also updates my database with citations and relevant links.
The combination of these automations saves me countless hours, allowing me to focus on other aspects of my work while ensuring that my content remains engaging and visually appealing.
In summary, the new OpenAI GPT image model, combined with n8n, presents an exceptional opportunity for automating content creation. Whether for social media or blogging, this setup enhances productivity and creativity, letting AI take on the heavy lifting of design and content generation.
