🍳 AI Recipe: Upgrade Your Zoom Background

Transform your video call setup with ChatGPT's new 4o Image Generation feature

Apr 01, 2025

Tired of cluttered or boring Zoom backgrounds? With ChatGPT’s latest image generation update, you can create a custom, professional-looking virtual background that enhances your video calls. Whether you want a sleek office space, a modern minimalist setup, or a creative backdrop that matches your brand, AI can generate the perfect look for you. So you can go from this:

to this:

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients:

A paid ChatGPT account (any tier)
A free Zoom account
A clear idea of the style or aesthetic you want for your new background
A specific prompt for image creation (included below)
A screenshot of your current Zoom background (optional but recommended)

Instructions:

Open ChatGPT: Navigate to ChatGPT and start a new chat
Describe Your Ideal Background – Think about the tone and style you want:
- Professional & Sleek – Modern office setup with bookshelves, warm lighting, and a minimalist desk.
- Creative & Fun – A vibrant, artistic space with pops of color.
- Nature-Inspired – A bright workspace with large windows, greenery, or a scenic outdoor view.
- Luxury Executive – A high-end corporate setting with rich wood tones, a city skyline, or sleek furniture.

Craft a Prompt: Use a clear, structured prompt for better results. Example Prompt:

Generate a realistic, high-resolution Zoom background that looks like a modern professional office. The scene should feature soft, natural lighting, a clean, minimalist aesthetic, and subtle design elements such as bookshelves, artwork, plants, or textured walls. Ensure that the composition is balanced for a video call background, leaving a clear central space for the speaker. The image should be in landscape format with a neutral, sophisticated color palette (e.g., warm grays, soft whites, or light wood tones). No desks, chairs, or objects that could interfere with the person’s video framing.

Generate & Review Your Background – If needed, refine your prompt to adjust colors, lighting, or decor elements.

Download & Set It as Your Virtual Background – Once you’re happy with the AI-generated background, download the image and apply it in your Zoom settings.
The content below is usually reserved for paid subscribers, but for a limited time, it's open to everyone. Enjoy the full experience and consider upgrading to a paid subscription to support this newsletter and gain exclusive perks!
Serving Suggestions:

Refresh Your Look – Rotate backgrounds regularly to keep your video calls visually engaging and aligned with different moods or themes. Examples:
1. Client Meetings – Add your company logo to your background for an extra professional touch
2. Webinars & Presentations – Match your background to the event with themed designs
3. Casual Team Calls – Add personality with celebratory elements like "Happy Birthday" banners or seasonal decorations
Bring It Into Reality – Use the new image generation feature as a virtual interior designer to explore how different styles, color schemes, and decor elements would look in your real-life office space. Generate visual mockups to experiment with layouts, furniture choices, lighting arrangements, and wall decor before making real-world changes.
- Upload Your Current Zoom Background – Take a screenshot of your current Zoom setup and add it to a chat with the prompt:
```
You are an interior designer, based on the attached, please create an image that upgrades the design of my background for Zoom calls, keep the composition of the photo as accurate as possible. 
```
  You can then use these AI-generated suggestions to purchase background pieces that align with your ideal aesthetic and seamlessly enhance your real workspace.

Chef’s Insights: Pro Tips & Limitations

Pro Tips:

Include lighting preferences (e.g., soft natural light vs. warm office lighting) in your prompt
Ask AI to match your personal style - modern, industrial, Scandinavian, or cozy home office
If the picture is too zoomed out to look like a natural background, respond with this prompt:
```
It looks too far away to be a Zoom background
```
Generate multiple options and test them in Zoom to see what looks best on camera

Limitations to Keep in Mind:

Image generation currently takes several minutes to load
Usage limits can fluctuate based on system demand and OpenAI's operational adjustments
The feature is still new, and you may run into one of these bugs:
- Images being cut off during editing
  - Fix: Add this to the end of your prompt to avoid that issue:
```
Please ensure to keep the image in landscape mode and make sure the whole image is fully visible, keeping the same proportions.
```
- AI-generated images, like text models, can sometimes fabricate details in low-context prompts
- The model may struggle with accurately rendering more than 10-20 distinct concepts in one image
- Editing specific portions of an image, such as fixing typos, is not always precise and can sometimes introduce new errors or alter unintended parts of the image.
  - Update: OpenAI says they are releasing a fix in the next week for this
- The model has difficulty rendering small, highly detailed elements, so text or intricate designs may need adjustments