The AI-driven image generator, Midjourney 6, currently only accessible for alpha testing on the Discord platform, has introduced a new feature called the “Character Reference”. This feature allows users to maintain a consistent character across multiple images created on the platform.
To create a reference, a Midjourney user can provide one or several links to images of the character they’re interested in or upload it onto the platform. The engine would then consider these reference points when generating new images. The service’s administration noted that this new feature is primarily intended for characters created by AI. An administrator from Midjourney’s Discord stated, “It is not meant for real people/photographs”, and pointed out that applying this feature will “most likely, distort them like regular image requests do”.
Of course, users of the platform couldn’t resist testing this new feature out. One user tried it out using a picture of football star Cristiano Ronaldo, yielding results that reminded the platform’s users of the famous athlete. The feature, though still under testing, has shown promising outcomes so far. It also includes a “strength” parameter, which measures the level of conformity between the reference and the generated result.
The new feature raises two opposing ethical concerns. On one hand, the ability to set a character reference may facilitate ill-intended users in creating convincing deepfakes. On the other, eliminating references to artists’ works could lead to copyright issues if users wish to commercialize or publish Midjourney creations.
