For a long time Midjourney has been considered one of the very best AI image generators. But, it’s only ever been available on Discord which put some people off using it.
But now it seems Midjourney is doing what its rivals have been doing for a long time: offering its AI image generator on a dedicated web page.
Midjourney Alpha is being tested for select users, specifically those who have generated over 10,000 images already on Midjourney. But the company’s founder David Holz says that it will be more widely available over the coming month.
Midjourney enthusiast Nick St. Pierre shared a video on the platform formerly known as Twitter showing how the alpha model looks and operates.
“[It is] so much easier to work with images,” says St. Pierre as he seamlessly adds an image to a prompt. Midjourney works by inputting text to describe the image the user wants but the text can be swapped out for an existing image.
Midjourney Alpha is officially here!!
If you’ve generated 10k or more images you should have access.
This is still the alpha, so things may change a bit. But here is a quick look at image creation on the web.
BYE BYE DISCORD 👋 pic.twitter.com/JbS9L7e59P
— Nick St. Pierre (@nickfloats) December 12, 2023
Previously instructing Midjourney to remix an image or change its aspect ratio required knowing the right codes and inputs. But on the alpha version that has all been replaced with more user-friendly sliders.
“Instead of grabbing image URLs you just click on them,” says St. Pierre. “You can add as many as you like, it’s so much better than having to type in image URLs, so much better.”
Changing Course
Midjourney was considered the best AI image generator until OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 came out recently which rivals Midjourney if not outperforms it.
But DALL-E has always had something of an edge thanks to its association with ChatGPT and its far more user-friendly interface that anyone can use. Signing up to Midjourney on Discord adds an extra layer of complications; possibly putting off those who are less computer-savvy.
The new interface is being rolled out seemingly just in time for the rumored Midjourney v6 that might come before Christmas. Each Midjourney iteration has been a big step from the last one, often setting the standard in the AI image world. Midjourney v6 reportedly has video capabilities.
Of course, Midjourney, like most AI image generators, was trained on billions of copyrighted images without permission. This bone of contention is yet to fully play out with the most interesting legal case between Getty Images and Stability AI, the makers of Stable Diffusion. That is set for trial at the High Court in London.