:Midjourney

Midjourney, Inc. was founded in San Francisco, California, by David Holz,{{Cite web |last=Salkowitz |first=Rob |date=September 16, 2022 |title=Midjourney Founder David Holz On The Impact Of AI On Art, Imagination And The Creative Economy |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/robsalkowitz/2022/09/16/midjourney-founder-david-holz-on-the-impact-of-ai-on-art-imagination-and-the-creative-economy/ |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=Forbes |language=en |archive-date=June 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628234903/https://www.forbes.com/sites/robsalkowitz/2022/09/16/midjourney-founder-david-holz-on-the-impact-of-ai-on-art-imagination-and-the-creative-economy/ |url-status=live }} previously a co-founder of Leap Motion.{{Cite web |last=Vincent |first=James |date=August 2, 2022 |title="An engine for the imagination": an interview with David Holz, CEO of AI image generator Midjourney |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/2/23287173/ai-image-generation-art-midjourney-multiverse-interview-david-holz |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=The Verge |language=en-US |archive-date=September 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920181147/https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/2/23287173/ai-image-generation-art-midjourney-multiverse-interview-david-holz |url-status=live }} The Midjourney image generation platform entered open beta on July 12, 2022. On March 14, 2022, the Midjourney Discord server launched with a request to post high-quality photographs to Twitter and Reddit for systems training.{{cn|date=November 2023}}

The company has been working on improving its algorithms, releasing new model versions every few months. Version 2 of their algorithm was launched in April 2022,{{Cite tweet |number=1516138949219024898 |user=midjourney |title=We recently started testing a V2 algorithm, it's much better with characters and animals |date=April 18, 2022 |access-date=March 19, 2023}} and version 3 on July 25.{{Cite tweet |number=1551560891254001664 |user=midjourney |title=Today we're starting to test our V3 image generation algorithms |date=July 25, 2022 |access-date=March 19, 2023}} On November 5, 2022, the alpha iteration of version 4 was released to users.{{Cite web |date=November 5, 2022 |title=David Holz on the official Midjourney Discord server |url=https://discord.com/channels/662267976984297473/952771221915840552/1038335529747480607 |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=Discord |archive-date=May 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230521183855/https://discord.com/channels/662267976984297473/952771221915840552/1038335529747480607 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Midjourney v4 greatly improves the award-winning image creation AI |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/96619-midjourney-v4-greatly-improves-award-winning-image-creation.html |access-date=November 17, 2022 |website=TechSpot |date=November 10, 2022 |language=en-US |archive-date=November 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117074346/https://www.techspot.com/news/96619-midjourney-v4-greatly-improves-award-winning-image-creation.html |url-status=live }} Starting from the 4th version, MJ models were trained on Google TPUs.{{Cite press release |title=Midjourney Selects Google Cloud to Power AI-Generated Creative Platform |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/midjourney-selects-google-cloud-to-power-ai-generated-creative-platform-301771558.html |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}}

On March 15, 2023, the alpha iteration of version 5 was released.{{Cite web |title=Midjourney V5 Creates Better Images, Fewer Nightmare Hands |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/879711/midjourney-v5-creates-better-images-fewer-nightmare-hands/ |access-date=March 16, 2023 |website=HowToGeek |date=March 16, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331162212/https://www.howtogeek.com/879711/midjourney-v5-creates-better-images-fewer-nightmare-hands/ |url-status=live }} The 5.1 model is more opinionated than version 5, applying more of its own stylization to images, while the 5.1 RAW model adds improvements while working better with more literal prompts. The version 5.2 included a new "aesthetics system", and the ability to "zoom out" by generating surroundings to an existing image.{{Cite web |last=Bastian |first=Matthias |date=2023-06-23 |title=Midjourney 5.2 brings zoom out and integrated prompt analysis |url=https://the-decoder.com/midjourney-5-2-brings-zoom-out-and-integrated-prompt-analysis/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=the decoder |language=en-US}} On December 21, 2023, the alpha iteration of version 6 was released. The model was trained from scratch over a nine month period. Support was added for better text rendition and a more literal interpretation of prompts.

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Midjourney is accessible through a Discord bot or by accessing their website. Users can use Midjourney through Discord either through their official Discord server, by directly messaging the bot, or by inviting the bot to a third-party server. To generate images, users use the {{code|/imagine}} command and type in a prompt;{{Cite news |last1=Becker |first1=Isaac Stanley |last2=Harwell |first2=Drew |date=March 30, 2023 |title=How a tiny company with few rules is making fake images go mainstream |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/03/30/midjourney-ai-image-generation-rules/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=July 22, 2023 |archive-date=May 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527052141/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/03/30/midjourney-ai-image-generation-rules/ |url-status=live }} the bot then returns a set of four images, which users are given the option to upscale. To generate images on the website, users initially needed to have generated at least 1,000 images through the bot; this limitation has since been removed.

Midjourney released a Vary (Region) feature on September 5, 2023, as part of MidJourney V5.2. This feature allows users to select a specific area of an image and apply variations only to that region while keeping the rest of the image unchanged.{{Cite web |title=Vary Region + Remix |url=https://docs.midjourney.com/docs/vary-region-remix}}

Midjourney introduced its web interface to make its tools more accessible, moving beyond its initial reliance on Discord. This web-based platform was launched in August 2024 alongside the release of Midjourney version 6.1. The web editor consolidates tools such as image editing, panning, zooming, region variation, and inpainting into a single interface.{{Cite web |last=Franzen |first=Carl |date=2023-12-14 |title=Midjourney Alpha is here with AI image generations on the web |url=https://venturebeat.com/ai/midjourney-alpha-is-here-with-ai-image-generations-on-the-web/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Growcoot |first=Matt |date=2024-08-23 |title=Midjourney Launches Website Interface For its AI Image Generator |url=https://petapixel.com/2024/08/23/midjourney-launches-website-interface-for-its-ai-image-generator/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=PetaPixel |language=en}}

The introduction of the web interface also syncs conversations between Midjourney's Discord channels and web rooms, further enhancing collaboration across both platforms. This shift was in response to growing competition from other AI image generation platforms like Adobe Firefly and Google’s Imagen, which had already launched as native web apps with integration into popular design tools.

{{Cite web |title=Midjourney Launches New Web Editor, Improving Workflow for Creators |date=August 16, 2024 |url=https://www.maginative.com/article/midjourney-launches-new-web-editor-improving-workflow-for-creators/}}

This feature lets users control how much influence an uploaded image has on the final output. By adjusting the "image weight" parameter, users can prioritize either the content of the prompt or the characteristics of the image. For instance, setting a higher weight will ensure that the generated result closely follows the image's structure and details, while a lower weight allows the text prompt to have more influence over the final output.{{Cite web |title=Image Weight |url=https://docs.midjourney.com/docs/image-prompts}}

With Style Reference, users can upload an image to use as a stylistic guide for their creation. This tool enables MidJourney to extract the style—whether it is the color palette, texture, or overall atmosphere—from the reference image and apply it to a newly generated image. The feature allows users to fine-tune the aesthetics of their creations by integrating specific artistic styles or moods.{{Cite web |title=Style Reference |url=https://docs.midjourney.com/docs/style-reference}}

The Character Reference feature allows for a more targeted approach in defining characters. Users can upload an image of a character, and the system uses that image as a reference to generate similar characters in the output. This feature is particularly useful in maintaining consistency in appearance for characters across different images.{{Cite web |title=Midjourney CREF Deep Dive {{!}} Consistent Character Ultimate Guide {{!}} Midjourney v6 Tips |url=https://midjourney.fm/blog-Midjourney-CREF-Deep-Dive-Consistent-Character-Ultimate-Guide-Midjourney-v6-Tips-34241}}

Midjourney's founder, David Holz, told The Register that artists use Midjourney for rapid prototyping of artistic concepts to show to clients before starting work themselves.

The advertising industry has been quick to embrace AI tools such as Midjourney, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion, among others. The tools that enable advertisers to create original content and brainstorm ideas quickly are providing new opportunities, such as "custom ads created for individuals, a new way to create special effects, or even making e-commerce advertising more efficient", according to Ad Age.{{Cite web |last=Bonilla |first=Brian |date=September 22, 2022 |title=How ad agencies are using AI image generators—and how they could be used in the future |url=https://adage.com/article/agency-news/how-agencies-use-ai-image-generators-dalle-e-2-midjourney-and-stable-diffusion/2430126 |access-date=March 19, 2023 |website=Ad Age |language=en |archive-date=April 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405211426/https://adage.com/article/agency-news/how-agencies-use-ai-image-generators-dalle-e-2-midjourney-and-stable-diffusion/2430126 |url-status=live }}{{promotion-inline|date=February 2024}}

Architects have described using the software to generate mood boards for the early stages of projects, as an alternative to searching Google Images.{{cite news |last=Faure |first=Gaelle |date=January 31, 2023 |title=The Architects Designing Surreal Worlds with AI |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-01-31/architects-embrace-ai-art-generator-midjourney |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203082223/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-01-31/architects-embrace-ai-art-generator-midjourney |archive-date=February 3, 2023 |access-date=August 14, 2023 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}

File:Théâtre D’opéra Spatial.png, a Midjourney image that won first prize in a digital art competition]]

File:Alice-and-Sparkle-claw-hand.jpg, a children's book illustrated by Midjourney. Time describes this image as "showing the limits of the AI-powered technology. The illustration has several apparent flaws, including the character appearing to have claws."{{Cite magazine |last=Popli |first=Nik |date=December 14, 2022 |title=He Used AI to Publish a Children's Book in a Weekend. Artists Are Not Happy About It |url=https://time.com/6240569/ai-childrens-book-alice-and-sparkle-artists-unhappy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230912005856/https://time.com/6240569/ai-childrens-book-alice-and-sparkle-artists-unhappy/ |archive-date=September 12, 2023 |access-date=December 19, 2022 |magazine=Time}}]]

The program was used by the British magazine The Economist to create the front cover for an issue in June 2022.{{cite news |title=How a computer designed this week's cover |url=https://www.economist.com/news/2022/06/11/how-a-computer-designed-this-weeks-cover |access-date=June 26, 2022 |newspaper=The Economist |archive-date=June 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626061822/https://www.economist.com/news/2022/06/11/how-a-computer-designed-this-weeks-cover |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last=Liu |first=Gloria |title=DALL-E 2 Made Its First Magazine Cover |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a40314356/dall-e-2-artificial-intelligence-cover/ |website=Cosmopolitan |access-date=June 26, 2022 |date=June 21, 2022 |archive-date=November 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118152617/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a40314356/dall-e-2-artificial-intelligence-cover/ |url-status=live }} In Italy, the leading newspaper Corriere della Sera published a comic created with Midjourney by writer Vanni Santoni in August 2022.{{cite news |last=Bozzi |first=Ida |date=August 26, 2022 |title=Su "La Lettura", Highsmith inedita e le città che mutano |newspaper=Corriere della Sera |language=it-IT |url=https://www.corriere.it/la-lettura/22_agosto_26/su-la-lettura-highsmith-inedita-citta-europee-trasformazione-af21cf38-2522-11ed-9c55-2dc9b0266fc8.shtml |access-date=March 19, 2023 |archive-date=April 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430161801/https://www.corriere.it/la-lettura/22_agosto_26/su-la-lettura-highsmith-inedita-citta-europee-trasformazione-af21cf38-2522-11ed-9c55-2dc9b0266fc8.shtml |url-status=live }} Charlie Warzel used Midjourney to generate two images of Alex Jones for Warzel's newsletter in The Atlantic. The use of an AI-generated cover was criticised by people who felt it was taking jobs from artists. Warzel called his action a mistake in an article about his decision to use generated images.{{Cite web |date=August 17, 2022 |title=I Went Viral in the Bad Way |url=https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/galaxy-brain/62fc502abcbd490021afea1e/twitter-viral-outrage-ai-art/ |access-date=August 31, 2022 |website=Galaxy Brain |language=en |archive-date=October 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002115216/https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/galaxy-brain/62fc502abcbd490021afea1e/twitter-viral-outrage-ai-art/ |url-status=live }} Last Week Tonight with John Oliver included a 10-minute segment on Midjourney in an episode broadcast in August 2022.{{cite news |last=Gentile |first=Dan |date=August 16, 2022 |title=John Oliver is weirdly popular on this SF-based AI image app |url=https://www.sfgate.com/streaming/article/hbo-john-oliver-ai-midjourney-17374718.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408185623/https://www.sfgate.com/streaming/article/hbo-john-oliver-ai-midjourney-17374718.php |archive-date=April 8, 2023 |access-date=August 31, 2022 |work=SFGate}}{{cite news |last=Brathwaite |first=Lester Fabian |title=John Oliver marries a cabbage in ceremony officiated by Steve Buscemi on 'Last Week Tonight' |url=https://ew.com/tv/john-oliver-marries-cabbage-steve-buscemi/ |access-date=August 31, 2022 |work=EW.com |date=August 29, 2022 |language=en |archive-date=March 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326213507/https://ew.com/tv/john-oliver-marries-cabbage-steve-buscemi/ |url-status=live }}

A Midjourney image called Théâtre D'opéra Spatial won first place in the digital art competition at the 2022 Colorado State Fair. Jason Allen, who wrote the prompt that led Midjourney to generate the image, printed the image onto a canvas and entered it into the competition using the name Jason M. Allen via Midjourney. Other digital artists were upset by the news.{{cite news |last=Gault |first=Matthew |title=An AI-Generated Artwork Won First Place at a State Fair Fine Arts Competition, and Artists Are Pissed |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/an-ai-generated-artwork-won-first-place-at-a-state-fair-fine-arts-competition-and-artists-are-pissed/ |access-date=August 31, 2022 |work=Motherboard |publisher=Vice |date=August 31, 2022 |language=en |archive-date=November 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221114194357/http://www.vice.com/en/article/bvmvqm/an-ai-generated-artwork-won-first-place-at-a-state-fair-fine-arts-competition-and-artists-are-pissed |url-status=live }} Allen was unapologetic, insisting that he followed the competition's rules. The two category judges were unaware that Midjourney used AI to generate images, although they later said that had they known this, they would have awarded Allen the top prize anyway.{{cite news |last=Roose |first=Kevin |title=An A.I.-Generated Picture Won an Art Prize. Artists Aren't Happy. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/technology/ai-artificial-intelligence-artists.html |access-date=September 2, 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=September 2, 2022 |archive-date=May 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531203858/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/technology/ai-artificial-intelligence-artists.html |url-status=live }}

In December 2022, Midjourney was used to generate the images for an AI-generated children's book that was created over a weekend. Titled Alice and Sparkle, the book features a young girl who builds a robot that becomes self-aware. The creator, Ammaar Reeshi, used Midjourney to generate a large number of images, from which he chose 13 for the book.{{Cite web |last=Stokel-Walker |first=Chris |date=December 13, 2022 |title=A Tech Worker Is Selling A Children's Book He Made Using AI. Professional Illustrators Are Pissed. |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisstokelwalker/tech-worker-ai-childrens-book-angers-illustrators |access-date=December 19, 2022 |website=BuzzFeed News |archive-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426225543/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisstokelwalker/tech-worker-ai-childrens-book-angers-illustrators |url-status=live }} Both the product and process drew criticism. One artist wrote that "the main problem... is that it was trained off of artists' work. It's our creations, our distinct styles that we created, that we did not consent to being used."

File:Pope Francis in puffy winter jacket.jpg wearing a puffer jacket, which went viral in 2023]]

In 2023, the realism of AI-based text-to-image generators, such as Midjourney, DALL-E, or Stable Diffusion,{{Cite news |last1=Verma |first1=Pranshu |last2=Schaul |first2=Kevin |name-list-style=and |date=May 24, 2023 |title=See why AI like ChatGPT has gotten so good, so fast |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2023/artificial-intelligence-tech-rapid-advances/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529164520/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2023/artificial-intelligence-tech-rapid-advances/ |archive-date=May 29, 2023 |access-date=May 28, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=April 11, 2023 |title=Will AI-generated images create a new crisis for fact-checkers? Experts are not so sure |url=https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/will-ai-generated-images-create-new-crisis-fact-checkers-experts-are-not-so-sure |access-date=May 28, 2023 |website=Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism |language=en |archive-date=May 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528153913/https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/will-ai-generated-images-create-new-crisis-fact-checkers-experts-are-not-so-sure |url-status=live }} reached such a high level that it led to a significant wave of viral AI-generated photos. Widespread attention was gained by a Midjourney-generated photo of Pope Francis wearing a white puffer coat,{{Cite web |last=Novak |first=Matt |title=That Viral Image Of Pope Francis Wearing A White Puffer Coat Is Totally Fake |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattnovak/2023/03/26/that-viral-image-of-pope-francis-wearing-a-white-puffer-coat-is-totally-fake/ |access-date=May 28, 2023 |website=Forbes |language=en |archive-date=May 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528153912/https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattnovak/2023/03/26/that-viral-image-of-pope-francis-wearing-a-white-puffer-coat-is-totally-fake/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Stokel-Walker |first=Chris |date=March 27, 2023 |title=We Spoke To The Guy Who Created The Viral AI Image Of The Pope That Fooled The World |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisstokelwalker/pope-puffy-jacket-ai-midjourney-image-creator-interview |access-date=May 28, 2023 |website=BuzzFeed News |language=en |archive-date=May 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528090246/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisstokelwalker/pope-puffy-jacket-ai-midjourney-image-creator-interview |url-status=live }} the fictional arrest of Donald Trump,{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Shweta |date=March 24, 2023 |title=Trump shares deepfake photo of himself praying as AI images of arrest spread online |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-ai-praying-photo-b2307178.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528154052/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-ai-praying-photo-b2307178.html |archive-date=May 28, 2023 |access-date=May 28, 2023 |website=The Independent |language=en}} and a hoax of an attack on the Pentagon,{{Cite news |last1=Oremus |first1=Will |last2=Harwell |first2=Drew |last3=Armus |first3=Teo |name-list-style=and |date=May 22, 2023 |title=A tweet about a Pentagon explosion was fake. It still went viral. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/05/22/pentagon-explosion-ai-image-hoax/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528005037/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/05/22/pentagon-explosion-ai-image-hoax/ |archive-date=May 28, 2023 |access-date=May 28, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}} as well as the usage in professional creative arts.{{Cite web |last=Kolirin |first=Lianne |date=April 18, 2023 |title=Artist rejects photo prize after AI-generated image wins award |url=https://www.cnn.com/style/article/ai-photo-win-sony-scli-intl/index.html |access-date=May 28, 2023 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=May 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528153912/https://www.cnn.com/style/article/ai-photo-win-sony-scli-intl/index.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news|date=June 16, 2023|title=How Generative AI Can Augment Human Creativity|work=Harvard Business Review|url=https://hbr.org/2023/07/how-generative-ai-can-augment-human-creativity|access-date=June 20, 2023|issn=0017-8012|archive-date=June 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620073042/https://hbr.org/2023/07/how-generative-ai-can-augment-human-creativity|url-status=live}}

Research has suggested that the images Midjourney generates can be biased. For example, even neutral prompts in one study returned unequal results on the aspects of gender, skin color, and location.{{Cite journal |last1=Thomas |first1=Ryan J. |last2=Thomson |first2=T. J. |name-list-style=amp |date=July 7, 2023 |title=What Does a Journalist Look like? Visualizing Journalistic Roles through AI |journal=Digital Journalism |language=en |pages=1–23 |doi=10.1080/21670811.2023.2229883 |issn=2167-0811 |doi-access=free}} A study by researchers at the nonprofit group Center for Countering Digital Hate found the tool to be easy to use to generate racist and conspiratorial images.{{cite news |last=Alba |first=Davey |date=August 11, 2023 |title=Midjourney Is Easily Tricked Into Making AI Misinformation, Study Finds |publisher=Bloomberg |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-08-11/midjourney-rules-can-easily-break-with-certain-prompts |url-status=live |access-date=November 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121162147/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-08-11/midjourney-rules-can-easily-break-with-certain-prompts |archive-date=November 21, 2023 |issn=1063-2123}} In October 2023, Rest of World reported that Midjourney tends to generate images based on national stereotypes.{{Cite web|url=https://restofworld.org/2023/ai-image-stereotypes/|title=How AI reduces the world to stereotypes|date=10 October 2023|website=Rest of World|last=Turk|first=Victoria}}

File:AI generated figure published in a Frontiers journal.png

In 2024, a Frontiers journal published a paper{{Cite journal |last1=Guo |first1=Xinyu |last2=Dong |first2=Liang |last3=Hao |first3=Dingjun |date=February 13, 2024 |title=Cellular functions of spermatogonial stem cells in relation to JAK/STAT signaling pathway |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cellular_functions_of_spermatogonial_stem_cells_in_relation_to_JAK_STAT_signaling_pathway_-_RETRACTED.pdf |journal=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology |volume=11 |doi=10.3389/fcell.2023.1339390 |issn=2296-634X |doi-access=free}}{{Retracted|doi=10.3389/fcell.2024.1386861|https://retractionwatch.com/2024/02/17/weekend-reads-that-paper-yes-that-one-is-retracted-china-reviewing-17000-retractions-a-columbia-surgeon-and-flawed-data/ Retraction Watch|intentional=yes}} which contained gibberish figures generated with Midjourney, one of which was a diagram of a rat with large testicles and a large penis towering over himself. The paper was retracted a day after the images went viral on Twitter.{{Cite web |last=Schultz |first=Isaac |date=February 15, 2024 |title='Rat Dck' Among Gibberish AI Images Published in Science Journal |url=https://gizmodo.com/rat-dck-among-gibberish-ai-images-published-in-science-1851260727 |access-date=February 16, 2024 |website=Gizmodo |language=en}}

Prior to May 2023, Midjourney implemented a moderation mechanism predicated on a banned word system. This method prohibited the use of language associated with explicit content, such as sexual or pornographic themes, as well as extreme violence. Moreover, the system also banned certain individual words, including those of religious and political figures, such as Allah or Xi Jinping. This practice occasionally stirred controversy due to perceived instances of censorship within the Midjourney platform.{{cite web |last=McLaughlin |first=Sarah |title=Midjourney CEO Says 'Political Satire In China Is Pretty Not Okay,' But Apparently Silencing Satire About Xi Jinping Is Pretty Okay |url=https://www.techdirt.com/2023/03/31/midjourney-ceo-says-political-satire-in-china-is-pretty-not-okay-but-apparently-silencing-satire-about-xi-jinping-is-pretty-okay/ |website=Techdirt |access-date=August 26, 2023 |date=March 31, 2023 |archive-date=August 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826104504/https://www.techdirt.com/2023/03/31/midjourney-ceo-says-political-satire-in-china-is-pretty-not-okay-but-apparently-silencing-satire-about-xi-jinping-is-pretty-okay/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=McFadden |first=Christopher |date=April 3, 2023 |title=Midjourney will no longer let you generate images of Xi Jinping |url=https://interestingengineering.com/culture/midjourney-bans-xi-jinping-images |access-date=May 21, 2023 |website=interestingengineering.com |language=en-US |archive-date=June 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601130429/https://interestingengineering.com/culture/midjourney-bans-xi-jinping-images |url-status=live }}

Commencing in May 2023, with subsequent updates post version 5, Midjourney transitioned to an AI-powered content moderation system. This advanced mechanism allowed for a more nuanced interpretation of user prompts by analyzing them in their entirety. It consequently facilitated the context-dependent use of words that had previously been prohibited. For instance, users can now prompt the AI to generate a portrait of Xi Jinping. At the same time, the system will prevent the generation of contentious images, such as depictions of global leaders, including Xi Jinping, in situations of arrest.{{Cite web |last=Bastian |first=Matthias |date=May 3, 2023 |title=Midjourney now has an easy mode and a new AI moderation system |url=https://the-decoder.com/midjourney-now-has-an-easy-mode-and-a-new-ai-moderation-system/ |access-date=May 21, 2023 |website=THE DECODER |language=en-US |archive-date=May 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230521121637/https://the-decoder.com/midjourney-now-has-an-easy-mode-and-a-new-ai-moderation-system/ |url-status=live }}

On January 13, 2023, three artists—Sarah Andersen, Kelly McKernan, and Karla Ortiz—filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Stability AI, Midjourney, and DeviantArt, claiming that these companies have infringed on the rights of millions of artists by training AI tools on five billion images scraped from the web, without the consent of the original artists.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/16/23557098/generative-ai-art-copyright-legal-lawsuit-stable-diffusion-midjourney-deviantart |title=AI art tools Stable Diffusion and Midjourney targeted with copyright lawsuit |first=James |last=Vincent |date=January 16, 2023 |website=The Verge |archive-date=March 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309010528/https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/16/23557098/generative-ai-art-copyright-legal-lawsuit-stable-diffusion-midjourney-deviantart |url-status=live }}

The legal action was initiated in San Francisco by attorney Matthew Butterick in partnership with the Joseph Saveri Law Firm, the same team challenging Microsoft, GitHub, and OpenAI (developers of ChatGPT and DALL-E) in court. In July 2023, U.S. District Judge William Orrick inclined to dismiss most of the lawsuit filed by Andersen, McKernan, and Ortiz but allowed them to file a new complaint.{{Cite news |last=Brittain |first=Blake |date=July 19, 2023 |title=US judge finds flaws in artists' lawsuit against AI companies |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-judge-finds-flaws-artists-lawsuit-against-ai-companies-2023-07-19/ |access-date=August 6, 2023 |archive-date=September 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230906193839/https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-judge-finds-flaws-artists-lawsuit-against-ai-companies-2023-07-19/ |url-status=live }} Another lawsuit was filed in November 2023 against Midjourney, Stability AI, DeviantArt and Runway AI for using the copyrighted work of over 4,700 artists.{{Cite news |last=Richardson |first=Aran |date=February 29, 2024 |title=The 4,700-Artist AI Controversy: Artists Accuse Midjourney And Other AI Firms Of Unauthorized Use In Lawsuit |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/4-700-artist-ai-controversy-182916995.html |access-date=March 3, 2024 |work=Yahoo! Finance |via=Benzinga.com}}

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