Advances in AI-powered photorealistic image-generating tools provide the opportunity to make descriptive writing visible to students and teachers alike. EFL students often struggle to write detailed descriptions because of a lack of opportunity to write for an audience, delay in feedback from instructors, or an overabundance of caution. This practice-based presentation describes one instructor’s attempt to use Adobe Firefly to improve student writing on an academic writing course at a private Japanese university based on an idea from Warner (2024). Using stock photographs from Unsplash, 74 students were tasked with describing a target image in four writing and feedback cycles. The short feedback cycle enabled the students to notice, with more precision, how their own writing had been interpreted. The task succeeded in providing motivation for the participants, and most students wrote increasingly detailed descriptions. However, the AI image generators failed to help students with certain aspects of grammar, spelling and adjective word order. Additionally, for future success, custom-made programmes may be needed to prevent rewarding generic descriptions over specific and accurate ones. This presentation will interest those who wish to use AI to improve student writing, and feedback on how to develop the idea will be welcomed.