GenClaw: Code-Driven Agentic Image Generation
On the map: LLM agents and tool use → Multimodal and embodied agents
Abstract (arXiv)
Image generation models have evolved from text-conditioned pixel synthesis toward multimodal agents endowed with visual comprehension and tool invocation capabilities. Yet, existing agents remain at the mercy of underlying black-box image models. Their workflow is trapped in a repetitive cycle of prompt rewriting for generation refinement, leaving them with no mechanism to directly manipulate the canvas. In essence, the potential of LLMs to serve as a genuine "brush" for precise visual construction remains largely untapped. In this paper, we propose GenClaw, a code-driven agentic image generation paradigm that empowers the agent to create like a human artist: first conceptualizing, then sketching, and finally coloring. Specifically, the agent first constructs the conceptual knowledge and context through search and reasoning. It then utilizes code (e.g., SVG, HTML, ThreeJS) to render executable visual sketches. Finally, it employs an image generation model to supplement textures, materials, and photorealism. In this workflow, code serves as a controllable intermediate canvas bridging linguistic reasoning and pixel synthesis, seamlessly integrating programmatic logic with the visual expressiveness of generative models. By transforming image generation from a black-box paradigm into a staged process akin to authentic human creation, GenClaw offers a step toward for highly controllable and interpretable visual generation systems.
Key facts. Cited by 10 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in Multimodal and embodied agents, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use. Builds on 48 of its 60 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 28 May 2026.
Builds on
48 of 60 references.
Closest ancestors · 6
Same direction, newest first
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- 2026Gen-Searcher: Reinforcing Agentic Search for Image Generation30 Mar
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- 2026Mind-Brush: Integrating Agentic Cognitive Search and Reasoning into Image Generation2 Feb
- 2026GenAgent: Scaling Text-to-Image Generation via Agentic Multimodal Reasoning26 Jan
- 2025An LLM-LVLM Driven Agent for Iterative and Fine-Grained Image Editing24 Aug
Other references · 42
- 2021High-Resolution Image Synthesis with Latent Diffusion Modelscited by 18,694
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- 2023Adding Conditional Control to Text-to-Image Diffusion Modelscited by 5,466
- 2023SDXL: Improving Latent Diffusion Models for High-Resolution Image Synthesiscited by 4,290
- 2024Scaling Rectified Flow Transformers for High-Resolution Image Synthesiscited by 4,094
- 2025Gemini 2.5: Pushing the Frontier with Advanced Reasoning, Multimodality, Long Context, and Next Generation Agentic Capabilitiescited by 3,655
- 2023InternVL: Scaling up Vision Foundation Models and Aligning for Generic Visual-Linguistic Taskscited by 2,534
- 2025Qwen-Image Technical Reportcited by 973
- 2025FLUX.1 Kontext: Flow Matching for In-Context Image Generation and Editing in Latent Spacecited by 960
- 2026DeepSeek-V4: Towards Highly Efficient Million-Token Context Intelligencecited by 877
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- 2025Seedream 4.0: Toward Next-generation Multimodal Image Generationcited by 233
- 2025ImgEdit: A Unified Image Editing Dataset and Benchmarkcited by 225
- 2025T2I-R1: Reinforcing Image Generation with Collaborative Semantic-level and Token-level CoTcited by 162
- 2025Emu3.5: Native Multimodal Models are World Learnerscited by 119
- 2025X-Omni: Reinforcement Learning Makes Discrete Autoregressive Image Generative Models Great Againcited by 105
- 2025Echo-4o: Harnessing the Power of GPT-4o Synthetic Images for Improved Image Generationcited by 95
- 2025Lumina-Image 2.0: A Unified and Efficient Image Generative Frameworkcited by 93
- 2025Uniworld-V2: Reinforce Image Editing with Diffusion Negative-aware Finetuning and MLLM Implicit Feedbackcited by 78
- 2025OmniSVG: A Unified Scalable Vector Graphics Generation Modelcited by 71
- 2025Spot the Fake: Large Multimodal Model-Based Synthetic Image Detection with Artifact Explanationcited by 66
- 2024LOKI: A Comprehensive Synthetic Data Detection Benchmark using Large Multimodal Modelscited by 51
- 2025PromptEnhancer: A Simple Approach to Enhance Text-to-Image Models via Chain-of-Thought Prompt Rewritingcited by 38
- 2025JarvisEvo: Towards a Self-Evolving Photo Editing Agent with Synergistic Editor-Evaluator Optimizationcited by 30
- 2026LongCat-Next: Lexicalizing Modalities as Discrete Tokenscited by 30
- 2025Qwen-Image-Layered: Towards Inherent Editability via Layer Decompositioncited by 29
- 2024CrossViewDiff: A Cross-View Diffusion Model for Satellite-to-Street View Synthesiscited by 23
- 2025VCode: a Multimodal Coding Benchmark with SVG as Symbolic Visual Representationcited by 15
- 2026Think-Then-Generate: Reasoning-Aware Text-to-Image Diffusion with LLM Encoderscited by 15
- 2025DraCo: Draft as CoT for Text-to-Image Preview and Rare Concept Generationcited by 13
- 2025InternSVG: Towards Unified SVG Tasks with Multimodal Large Language Modelscited by 12
- 2024Leveraging BEV Paradigm for Ground-to-Aerial Image Synthesiscited by 11
- 2025RealGen: Photorealistic Text-to-Image Generation via Detector-Guided Rewardscited by 11
- 2026CoCo: Code as CoT for Text-to-Image Preview and Rare Concept Generationcited by 6
- 2026SCOPE: Structured Decomposition and Conditional Skill Orchestration for Complex Image Generationcited by 6
- 2026CoCoEdit: Content-Consistent Image Editing via Region Regularized Reinforcement Learningcited by 3
- 2026Controlling Your Image via Simplified Vector Graphicscited by 1
Built on by
Citing papers per year: 2026: 10.
10 papers.
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- 2026LynnReal-Omni: Native multi-modal Video Generation for Agentic Visual Workflowscited by 1
- 2026One Query, Many Scales: Sparse Mixture-of-Experts for Efficient Hierarchical Cross-View Geo-Localizationcited by 0
- 2026TransAnyText: Translating Arbitrary Text in E-commerce Images via Structured Visual Generationcited by 0
- 2026Editable Visual Designcited by 0
- 2026WeAgent-MMGenEdit: A Full-Stack Recipe for Multimodal Agentic Image Generation and Editingcited by 0
- 2026Agentic Visual Generation: From Generative Models to Agentic Controlcited by 0
- 2026InfoAgent: Traceable Generation and Repair of Evidence-Grounded Infographicscited by 0
- 2026InfoAgent: Traceable Generation and Repair of Evidence-Grounded Infographics30 Sep 2026
- 2026LynnReal-Omni: Native multi-modal Video Generation for Agentic Visual Workflows14 Sep 2026
- 2026Agentic Visual Generation: From Generative Models to Agentic Control6 Sep 2026
- 2026WeAgent-MMGenEdit: A Full-Stack Recipe for Multimodal Agentic Image Generation and Editing4 Sep 2026
- 2026Editable Visual Design3 Sep 2026
- 2026GenRouter: Unified Workflow Routing for Agentic Image Generation17 Aug 2026
- 2026TransAnyText: Translating Arbitrary Text in E-commerce Images via Structured Visual Generation17 Aug 2026
- 2026WorldClaw: Agentic 3D Open-World Generation at Scale5 Aug 2026
- 2026PosterMELD: Multi-Agent Paper-to-Poster Generation for Controllable Design Diversity with Editable Print-Ready Outputs3 Aug 2026
- 2026One Query, Many Scales: Sparse Mixture-of-Experts for Efficient Hierarchical Cross-View Geo-Localization2 Aug 2026
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