Midjourney is a generative platform developed by Midjourney, Inc. that transforms natural language descriptions into compelling images. Hosted in San Francisco, it has gained momentum since its open beta launch on July 12, 2022.
Under the direction of David Holz, co-founder of Leap Motion, the Midjourney team continuously improves the platform's algorithms, moving through multiple model iterations from Version 1 in February 2022 to the newest alpha version of Version 6 in December 2023.
Midjourney offers users access to its functionality through a Discord bot, providing a unique artistic experience. Users can easily create art by giving instructions and obtaining a set of images, with commands like /imagine for upscaling and /blend for blending, demonstrating the platform's dedication to user experience.
Midjourney faced controversy in 2024 due to a circulating list claiming to have used artworks from 16,000 artists, leading to a class-action lawsuit. Artists expressed concerns about copyright infringement, prompting discussions about the moral implications of utilizing artists' creations without consent.
Midjourney's realistic output sparked debates about the moral implications of AI-generated content and potential biases in the generated images. The platform is evolving its content moderation approach to incorporate AI-driven mechanisms for nuanced interpretation and context-dependent utilization of prompts.