Meta has partnered with Midjourney to license the startup’s AI picture and video technology expertise. Meta’s Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang introduced on Friday in a put up in a thread. Wang mentioned the Meta analysis group will work with Midjourney to convey its expertise into future AI fashions and merchandise.
“We have to take each strategy to make sure that Meta is ready to present folks with the very best product,” Wang mentioned. “This implies working with world-class expertise, an formidable computing roadmap and one of the best gamers throughout the {industry}.”
The Midjourney Partnership helps develop merchandise that compete with industry-leading AI picture and video fashions, together with Openai’s Sora, Black Forest Lab’s Flux, and Google’s VEO. Final yr, Meta imagined its personal AI picture technology instruments, together with Fb, Instagram, and Messenger, and deployed them to a number of of its merchandise. Meta additionally has Film Gen, an AI video technology instrument that permits customers to create movies from the prompts.
Midjourney Marks Meta’s newest deal licensing agreements are shifting ahead within the AI race. Earlier this yr, CEO Mark Zuckerberg employed jobs for AI expertise and offered researcher compensation packages value greater than $100 million. The social media big has additionally invested $14 billion in scale AI and bought AI voice startup Play AI.
Meta held discussions with a number of different main AI labs on different acquisitions, and Zuckerberg spoke with Elon Musk about becoming a member of the $97 billion Openai buy bid (ultimately not participating within the provide).
The phrases of Meta’s contract with Midjourney stay unknown, however the startup CEO David Holz mentioned in a put up on X that his firm is unbiased with out buyers. Midjourney is likely one of the few main AI mannequin builders who’ve by no means obtained exterior funding. At one level, Meta spoke about getting a startup with Midjourney, in keeping with Upstarts Media.
Midjourney was based in 2022 and has turn out to be a pacesetter within the AI Picture Era House with a sensible and distinctive type. By 2023, the startup reportedly had been holding tempo to generate $200 million in income. The startup sells subscriptions beginning at $10 a month. It affords dearer tiers that supply extra AI picture generations, and prices as a lot as $120 a month. In June, the startup launched its first AI video mannequin V1.
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Meta’s partnership with Midjourney claims that it occurred simply two months after the startup was sued by Disney and Common, and skilled AI picture fashions with copyrighted works. Whereas a number of AI mannequin builders, together with META, have confronted comparable allegations from copyright holders, latest lawsuits referring to AI coaching information have sided with high-tech corporations.
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