Midjourney V7: Rapid AI image generation

Midjourney has announced the alpha release of its V7 image generation model for testing by the AI community. The new model packs improvements in text prompt understanding, image quality, and feature coherence.

“V7 is an amazing model. It’s much smarter with text prompts, image prompts look fantastic, image quality is noticeably higher with beautiful textures, and bodies, hands, and objects of all kinds have significantly better coherence on all details,” Midjourney explained.

A key innovation in V7 is the default activation of model personalisation. Users must initially unlock this feature, a process that takes approximately five minutes. This personalisation can be toggled on or off at any time and is intended to significantly improve the AI’s ability to interpret user desires and aesthetic preferences. Midjourney believes this feature sets a new benchmark for understanding user intent.

Midjourney is also introducing a feature alongside the V7 image generation model called ‘Draft Mode,’ which promises to generate images ten times faster and at half the cost.

This increased speed has enabled Midjourney to implement a unique “conversational mode” on its web interface. Users can now instruct the system to make changes, such as replacing a cat with an owl or altering the time of day to nighttime, and the AI will automatically adjust the prompt and initiate a new image generation task.

Draft Mode also incorporates voice input functionality. By pressing the microphone button, users can verbally articulate their ideas and observe the images as they are generated in near real-time:

Midjourney believes that Draft Mode offers an unprecedented method for refining creative concepts. If a generated image is appealing, users can select the ‘enhance’ or ‘vary’ options to re-render it at full quality. While draft images are of a lower quality compared to the standard mode, their behaviour and aesthetic characteristics remain consistent.

The V7 image generation model from Midjourney will initially be available in two speed modes: Turbo and Relax. The standard speed mode is currently undergoing further optimisation and is expected to be released shortly. Midjourney has clarified that Turbo jobs will cost twice as much as a standard job, while draft jobs will cost half the amount.

The company also provided updates on other functionalities. Features such as upscaling, editing, and retexturing will initially revert to using the V6 model, with updates planned for the future. Functionality for mood boards and SREF is currently operational and performance is expected to improve with subsequent updates.

Looking to the near future, Midjourney has outlined an active development schedule. Users can expect new features every one to two weeks for the next 60 days. A significant upcoming feature will be a new V7 character and object reference capability.

Finally, Midjourney has advised users that V7 is an entirely new model with its own unique strengths and potential weaknesses. They encourage experimentation and feedback on its capabilities, reminding users that it may require different prompting techniques compared to previous versions.

(Image credit: Midjourney)

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