Although its ethics are questionable, Midjourney is one of the best AI image generators in terms of quick interpretation and photorealism. But with the release of Midjourney Patchwork, we aim to go far beyond that into a complete creative software package for ideation, storyboarding, and more.
Rather than simply enabling AI image generation, it aims to enable users to create entire worlds with a consistent aesthetic and story. And the company even has plans to expand it into the 3D and VR spaces.
Today, we’re launching a new experimental multiplayer world-building tool called “Patchwork.” Build the foundation of your story by combining language models, image models, and canvas-based interfaces. See 🧵 below for links and detailed documentation. enjoy! pic.twitter.com/IgoJrJ8bO9 December 11, 2024
What is Mid-Journey Patchwork?
Midjourney Patchwork uses an infinite canvas. This is a concept that will be familiar to anyone who has seen Adobe Project Concept, the Recraft AI image generator, or Kaiber Superstudio. I’ve heard that they use three different large language models packaged together in the form of a standalone web app that requires a Midjourney account to access.
On the left side of the canvas is a “toolbox” with various options for adding entities to the canvas, such as characters, events, locations, and props. Each canvas is called a “world”. Elements called “scraps”, including images and text boxes, can be freely dragged around the canvas, allowing users to switch between worlds by creating “portals” (small circular buttons).
To generate a new world, enter a text prompt in the editor bar at the top of the Create screen and choose from a set of styles. By adding new text boxes, users can encourage names, characteristics, and motivation to develop their stories. You can then link the characters with lines that show the connections between them.
Midjourney Patchwork has also added collaboration options, allowing users to share boards with others, agreeing with Figma’s approach, and work on them simultaneously. Max Kreminski, head of Midjourney’s storytelling lab, said in a Discord demo that the world can support up to 100 users, but the more users, the more chaos there can be.
One thing that stands out in the demo above is that Midjourney is basically doing all the work. We’re always told that AI is just a tool for human creativity, but at least in this particular demo, Midjourney isn’t just generating images, it’s essentially suggesting an entire story. , the human role is reduced to that of deciding what. The elements to use and reject are the same as adventure book readers choose for themselves.
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Users appear to be able to choose to take a more active role in the process if they wish. Midjourney said users will soon be able to upload multiple reference images to the board to guide generations. Currently, Midjourney Patchwork is available to Midjourney users at https://patchwork.midjourney.com. Several people have already created tutorials on how it works (see Future Tech Pilot’s video below).
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What’s next for Midjourney?
Beyond the technology itself, Midjourney Patchwork’s launch is also interesting from a strategic perspective. This suggests that Midjourney will compete with more traditional, practical creative software. The company is set to launch Midjourney V7 soon, which introduces multiple character consistency between images, and more ambitious plans for the future have been revealed.
During a demo of Midjourney Patchwork, Kreminski said the company has a “very clear path forward in terms of escalating the details of the world and the interactions,” ultimately leading to the generation of immersive 3D virtual reality scenes with AI. He said the plan is to make it possible. Maybe it’s a few years away.
Meanwhile, Midjourney founder David Holz said the company is working on hardware projects and aims to “spun off and become a full-fledged research lab.”
Despite all the advances, AI art remains controversial and continues to cause public backlash when used by big brands. Take a look at the reactions to various uses of Coca-Cola AI, including a Christmas ad and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
