What is MidJourney? New AI image generator rivals Dall-E

Lawrence Scotti
midjourney

MidJourney is a new text-to-image generator that is quickly taking over the internet, and social media users have been quick to compare it to the Dall-E Mini which has also gained viral fame for performing a similar function.

Social media has been taken by storm in 2022 by Dall-E Mini, an AI program that generates any image from a text prompt.

The technology has spawned an entire subgenre of memes that have gone massive viral for being hilariously specific and strangely realistic as the AI can create multiple images from just a few lines of text.

Now, there’s a new AI image generator making the rounds, one that is more artistically focused.

midjoourney
An image generated by Twitter user tacolamp with the prompt “mega man 2 nes cover art.”

What is MidJourney?

MidJourney is an AI-powered system that creates images from user prompts. On their website, they describe themselves as: “An independent research lab. Exploring new mediums of thought. Expanding the imaginative powers of the human species.”

While Dall-E creates more realistic images, MidJourney shines in adapting real art styles into creating an image of any combination of things your heart desires.

To demonstrate the differences between the two technologies, social media user Fabian Stelzer inputted the same text prompt into both to see how they would fare.

They said, “MidJourney has a certain “je ne sais quoi”, the imperfections are more beautiful, a bit like an analog synth. It’s often more contextually creative and amazing with textures. DALL-E deals better with very clearly instructed scenes.”

In the thread, a few of the prompts that went head-to-head included “Mozart playing at the Top of the Pops, 1993” and “a complex installation made of plastic bags and mirror shards, painted in neon colors, studio lighting.”

For the plastic bag installation, MidJourney was able to craft a way more realistic image with unbelievably accurate studio lighting.

Dall-E image is on the left, and the MidJourney one is on the right.

How to use MidJourney to create images

MidJourney currently is accepting signups on its website and is sending out invitations in waves.

Once you get an invitation email you will communicate with the program through Discord, sending your prompts to their bot which will then take some time to deliver you your image.

Time will tell if MidJourney can reach the viral fame Dall-E has attained, but it looks like their technology stacks up impressively.

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