Our journey with Midjourney > Making the AI-PA

Last month, we invited Two Tribes customers to ‘DREAM BIG’ and tap into the Midjourney artificial intelligence art generation tool via our Discord server to create AI art images which we would then use on the world’s first ever ‘AI-PA’.

In this article we reflect on our own journey with the Midjourney artificial intelligence tool.

AI imaging software inhabits the latest frontier of the Internet’s Wild West. It has sparked a digital ‘gold rush’ from the world’s leading tech companies as they battle to develop smarter and faster systems. Midjourney allows users to generate highly detailed, sophisticated digital artwork in a matter of moments simply by entering a series of text prompts.

Let’s give you an example. Here, we typed “Salvador Dali, Cowboy, Wild West, Internet, Technology” into Midjourney - and less than 60 seconds later we were provided with this artwork...

Pretty incredible, huh!

AI art has been emerging for a number of years now, but the technology progressed in leaps and bounds during the summer of 2022. These technological improvements have resulted in a number of headlines.

In June, Cosmopolitan published the world’s first AI generated magazine cover using DALLE-2. It featured a female astronaut confidently striding toward the camera on the surface of another planet.

In August, an AI generated artwork was awarded first prize at the Colorado State Fair. The judges of the competition had not been aware that the artwork was generated by a computer. This caused a load of controversy amongst art critics, with some commentators claiming that “we’re watching the death of artistry unfold right before our very eyes”. Interestingly however, the judges did not revoke the prize - preferring to enjoy the ‘remarkable’ conversation which the artwork had kindled.

AI artwork is remarkable, but not everyone is feeling hopeful. It heralds the arrival of a new era of digital creativity and communication - but does it also signal the extinction of another?

The technology is learning and improving at incredible speeds, with lawmakers and the courts struggling keep up. Artists are concerned as they find their work ‘scraped’ off the Internet and dumped into massive AI image datasets - often without their consent. They argue that their works of genuine human creativity are being codified and commodified to service the profit margins of corporations, and they fear that AI may ultimately put them out of a job.

These ethical concerns are valid. Ownership of intellectual property must be respected.

It is also important to remember the human achievements that are possible when new creative technologies are adopted, embraced and utilised. The DJ didn't kill live music, and AI won't replace visual artists - it will instead become a great tool of assistance. We must accept that this technology is not going anywhere. AI is here to stay and it’s only going to become more sophisticated.

Many artists are already harnessing this technology as an ideation tool - a launchpad to their own creative process. Leo Zero, the man in charge of all things design here at Two Tribes, has recently used Midjourney to explore fashion concepts using the tool to generate futuristic, post-punk models wearing  elaborate headwear and bejewelled outfits.

As with any art movement there will inevitably be a counter-culture reaction, inviting a response to the AI medium that is undeniably human. We can’t wait to see how this story develops.

We are excited to be sharing the design of our AI-PA can in the next few days.

We have selected eight of the most impressive images generated by Two Tribes customers who used Midjourney on our Discord server. These images will appear in our familiar pop-art, collage style on a limited edition can of our Dream Factory Pale Ale.

The design of our AI-PA Dream Factory can will be announced on Monday, December 5.