MidJourney is a generative AI that creates beautiful images from simple text descriptions. Find out everything you need to know about this tool, and how to master it to the full!
Who hasn’t dreamed of being able to bring all their ideas to life at the touch of a button? It’s now possible, thanks to artificial intelligence.
At the very least, AI image generators can create an image from a text description. The more detailed this “prompt” is, the more specific and elaborate the result can be.
These new-style tools were introduced by OpenAI, also creator of ChatGPT, with DALL-E launched in January 2021. Subsequently, other developers created their own text-to-art AIs.
In July 2022, one generator stood out right from the start for its ability to create images with real artistic beauty, and impressed many designers: MidJourney.
What is MidJourney?
Like ChatGPT, MidJourney is a generative artificial intelligence based on a large language model (LLM). This type of AI has been trained on huge volumes of data to acquire an understanding of natural language, and an ability to predict word successions forming coherent sentences.
However, image generators such as MidJourney are trained not only on textual data, but also on images.
This enables the tool to create its own images, corresponding to the text description provided by the user. The AI can include descriptions of characters, objects, sets, and even indications of style, color, lighting or camera angle.
This means it can generate any image, from a simple sketch to a highly detailed pictorial fresco. The tool can even imitate the style of an artist or a work of art, achieving a level of realism worthy of a photograph.
Nothing is impossible, and users continue to find ways to push the limits of this software every day. Image quality and detail depend on the ability to write precise, well-formulated prompts.
This is what we call Prompt Engineering, and the most talented Prompt Engineers can rise to highly paid positions.
This is because the tool can be used for a huge variety of applications. It is already used worldwide by graphic artists, designers, cartoonists, journalists, video game and animated film creators, and even architects.
With each update, MidJourney improves and corrects its shortcomings. For example, the first version had great difficulty in representing hands correctly. Since V3, this is no longer a problem.
Now, the images generated have reached such a high level of quality that this AI gives cause for concern. In addition to the risk of it being exploited to propagate false information, many professional designers fear that their jobs will be rendered redundant.
They also suspect MidJourney of being trained on their work, without any request for authorization. Its operation remains shrouded in mystery, as it is not an open source tool.
MidJourney Inc was founded by David Holz, who had previously created the Leap Motion device to replace keyboards and mice with gesture commands. His new project is a great success, but no one really knows what’s under the hood of this AI…
How does MidJourney work and how can I use it?
Although the inner workings of MidJourney remain a secret, the underlying technology is the same as for the other image generators, and relies mainly on two recent Machine Learning technologies: large language models (LLM) and diffusion models (DM).
The language model (LLM) enables the AI to understand the meaning of a prompt. It is then converted into a vector, which can be described as a digital version of the description.
This vector then guides another process: dissemination. The model has been trained by gradually adding random “noise” to its training dataset, so that it learns to restore an original image by inverting it.
It is this development that then enables it to generate new images by removing the noise from a random image. In this way, MidJourney is able to “shape” a cluster of pixels to resemble the description provided by the user.
And the whole sequence of steps usually takes just a minute, from entering the prompt to finalizing the images…
To start using it, simply create an account on the official website. You must have a Discord account, as MidJourney works via this messaging system.
Once registered, simply enter the command “/imagine” in a Discord discussion and write a prompt. Immediately, the AI generates 4 images attempting to illustrate the description provided. You can follow the process in real time.
You can then choose an image to “uspcale” in high definition, or create four variants of one of the results. If the result doesn’t meet expectations, simply repeat or modify the prompt to try again.
Every word can have a big impact on the result, and it’s by handling MidJourney that you’ll learn to communicate with it and anticipate how it interprets prompts.
Conclusion: MidJourney, the best generative AI for artistic images
Thanks to MidJourney, anyone can now give free rein to their creativity and bring their ideas to life. This artificial intelligence opens up the world of art to everyone.
There are many other AI image generators, but MidJourney stands out for the aesthetic appeal and artistic quality of the content it produces. This is what has enabled it to establish itself as the benchmark in this still nascent field.
However, to exploit MidJourney’s full potential, it is necessary to understand the workings of artificial intelligence, language models and Machine Learning. Expertise in prompt engineering is also a valuable asset.
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You know all about MidJourney. For more information on the same subject, take a look at our ChatGPT feature and our full report on Machine Learning!
