In recent years, artificial intelligences are making great strides, opening new frontiers and challenging our perceptions about creativity and art. In this context, Midjourney has emerged as one of the most advanced and photorealistic image generation services.
However, as is often the case with new technologies, there are also risks associated with their use. Let’s see in detail what Midjourney is, how to use it and what the risks are.
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Hyper-realistic images, what Midjourney is and how it works
The software was created by Midjourney, Inc., an independent research company based in San Francisco, with the aim of generating images from natural language descriptions, called “prompts”. This is the same method as ChatGPT, which however creates text only.
This means that users can enter a text description of an image they would like to see, and Midjourney will generate a photorealistic image in response.
How to use Midjourney
Currently, access to Midjourney is limited to one bot on Discord. Here is a practical guide on how to use it.
Join the Midjourney Discord server. You can do this by visiting Midjourney.com and selecting “Join the Beta”. Or you can go directly to the Midjourney Discord server. Before joining the server, make sure you have a Discord account. You can create an account for free by following the instructions on the official Discord website.
Once on the server, select one of the “newbies” channels in the sidebar. These channels are designed for first-time users, and will help you navigate the world of Midjourney.
Use the image command to create a new image. This command generates a single image starting from a short description (prompt) provided by the user. You can use the command by typing “/imagine prompt:” in the dedicated channel.
The Midjourney bot takes about a minute to generate four different image options, starting with the prompt you provided.
After the bot has generated the first four options, you can use the “U” buttons to zoom in on the selected image. Or, the “V” buttons to generate variations of the chosen image. You can also use the 🔄 button to regenerate the original prompt and get new image options.
Once you have selected the image you like the most, you can vote for it by clicking on the “smiley” button corresponding to your opinion. This will give you the chance to earn free Fast Mode time, which you can use to create more images.
Finally, when you have selected your favorite image, you can save it by right clicking on the image and selecting “Save Image”. On mobile, however, you can press and hold the image and select the download icon at the top right. All the images you create will be instantly available in the Midjourney.com/app gallery.
If you want to create more images or unlock advanced features, you can subscribe to one of the subscription plans available on Midjourney.com.
Why could Midjourney become dangerous
Like any technology, AI can be used for dishonest purposes. One of the main risks concerns the use of images generated by the software to disseminate false or manipulated information.
As happened recently with the fake Trump arrest photos, it’s easy to imagine how Midjourney could be used to create images of non-existent events or to spread disinformation.
For this reason, the software had to take precautions and block certain words such as “arrest” to prevent the spread of misleading images.
Additionally, the use of Midjourney has raised some concerns among artists. Who see the software as a threat to their creativity and sources of income.
Some have accused the software of devaluing the original artwork, as it uses pre-existing images to train its algorithm. In response, Midjourney included a DMCA policy that allows artists to request the removal of their work from the AI training set.
If Midjourney therefore represents one of the most advanced technologies for generating images, its use must undergo monitoring and regulation. This, to avoid abuse and manipulation.
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