Key Points
- Midjourney expands editing tools to allow users to edit uploaded images using AI, not just images created by its AI model.
- The platform moves beyond Discord with a web-based tool for easier access and broader appeal.
- New tools include zooming, angle adjustments, inpainting, and a “Retexture” tool for color and detail modifications.
- The power of these tools raises concerns about potential misuse, particularly regarding image editing without permission.
Midjourney, the popular AI image generation platform, is launching new advanced editing tools that allow users to modify uploaded images using generative AI, as announced by CEO David Holz on Discord. This is a significant expansion of the platform’s capabilities, as previously, only images created by Midjourney’s AI could be edited. The new tools will be accessible via a web-based interface, making the platform more accessible beyond its initial Discord-centered features.
AI image editing tools are not new but have traditionally been limited to editing images created by the same AI model. Midjourney’s leap into editing any uploaded image marks a technical milestone. This development means the AI must understand and interpret an image it did not originally create, which presents challenges and risks. Other platforms may have hesitated to offer such capabilities due to ethical concerns, particularly around editing images of real people without permission or other potentially harmful uses.
Users will have several editing options once an image is uploaded to Midjourney. These include zooming in and out, adjusting angles, and performing various other modifications without Discord. The platform has introduced a digital brush for inpainting, enabling users to make precise alterations. One of the most exciting new features is the “Retexture” tool, which allows users to change colors and other details while keeping the shapes and objects in the image intact.
These powerful new features have raised ethical concerns about the potential misuse of AI for image manipulation, especially with real-world implications. AI-generated image editing has already sparked heated debates and lawsuits, making Midjourney’s move significant for the broader industry. Midjourney has committed to embedding metadata in AI-generated images to address these concerns and ensure they can be identified. However, the platform has not yet adopted the more comprehensive C2PA standard for tracking image provenance.
Given the power of these new tools, Holz emphasized the need for caution in their rollout. “We’re going to restrict the deployment of them to a subset of the current community and increase our human moderation over the outputs,” Holz stated. In addition to human oversight, advanced AI moderators will help ensure responsible use of the tools. The company plans to distribute a survey to its users to gather opinions on how best to balance accessibility and control, which will guide the broader release of the features.
Midjourney aims to make its platform more appealing to a broader audience by offering easier and more precise AI-powered editing. Its move to a web-based platform signifies a step toward greater accessibility as the company seeks to grow beyond its Discord origins.
