Meta and Midjourney Partner on AI Image & Video Models

Meta and Midjourney Announce AI Technology Partnership

Meta is establishing a collaborative partnership with Midjourney to license the startup's advanced AI technology for both image and video generation. This announcement was made by Meta’s Chief AI Officer, Alexandr Wang, via a post on Threads on Friday.

Wang emphasized that for Meta to consistently deliver superior products, a comprehensive strategy is essential. This approach encompasses attracting top-tier talent, maintaining an ambitious computing roadmap, and forging alliances with leading innovators throughout the industry.

Competition in the AI Landscape

This collaboration with Midjourney is anticipated to bolster Meta’s capabilities in developing products that can effectively compete with prominent AI image and video models currently available. These include OpenAI’s Sora, Black Forest Lab’s Flux, and Google’s Veo.

Last year, Meta introduced its own AI image generation tool, Imagine, integrating it into several of its core platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. Furthermore, Meta also possesses Movie Gen, an AI-powered video generation tool enabling users to create videos based on textual prompts.

Strategic Investments in AI

The licensing agreement with Midjourney represents Meta’s most recent initiative to gain a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving AI sector. Earlier this year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg actively recruited AI specialists, offering compensation packages exceeding $100 million to select researchers.

The social media company has also made substantial investments, including a $14 billion investment in Scale AI, and the acquisition of Play AI, an AI voice technology startup.

Discussions regarding potential acquisitions have been held with numerous other leading AI laboratories. Zuckerberg even engaged in conversations with Elon Musk concerning a potential joint bid to acquire OpenAI for $97 billion, though Meta ultimately chose not to participate, and OpenAI rejected Musk’s offer.

Midjourney’s Independent Status

While the specific details of the agreement between Meta and Midjourney remain confidential, Midjourney’s CEO, David Holz, stated on X that his company will maintain its independence and operate without external investors. Midjourney stands as one of the few prominent AI model developers that has not sought outside funding.

Reports from Upstarts Media indicate that Meta previously explored the possibility of acquiring Midjourney outright.

Midjourney’s Growth and Technology

Founded in 2022, Midjourney quickly established itself as a frontrunner in AI image generation, renowned for its distinctive and realistic style. By 2023, the company was projected to generate $200 million in annual revenue.

Midjourney offers subscription plans starting at $10 per month, with more comprehensive tiers, providing increased AI image generation capacity, priced up to $120 monthly. The startup launched its inaugural AI video model, V1, in June.

Legal Challenges and Future Outlook

The partnership between Meta and Midjourney follows a recent lawsuit filed against Midjourney by Disney and Universal, alleging copyright infringement through the use of copyrighted materials in training its AI image models. Several AI model developers, including Meta, are facing similar claims from copyright holders. However, recent legal rulings concerning AI training data have generally favored technology companies.

For confidential information or sensitive tips, please contact Rebecca Bellan at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com and Maxwell Zeff at maxwell.zeff@techcrunch.com. Secure communication is available via Signal at @rebeccabellan.491 and @mzeff.88.

We value your feedback! Please complete this survey to share your thoughts on TechCrunch’s coverage and events, and you’ll have a chance to win a prize.