[AI Image Generation 1] It All Began with DALL-E and Midjourney!

2024-11-32025-2-13
The illustration of a beautiful kimono fairy 1.png (1600×1600)
Created by Ayuna using Dall-E3
  • Image generation AI began with Dall-E and Midjourney.
  • Online services are convenient and secure.
  • However, they do come with limitations, and it’s essential to consider potential future risks.

Introduction

Hello, I’m Easygoing.

Today, let’s take a clear look at the development of AI image generation from its inception to where it stands today as it gains widespread popularity.

The Easiest AI Image Generator to Start With?

If you’re looking to try image generation AI, I’d recommend Bing Image Creator.

Free AI Image Generator - Image Creator in Bing

You can access Bing Image Creator for free with a Microsoft account, making it very easy to get started.

Two Years Since the First Available AI Image Generator

There are various types of AI image generators, each with its own unique history. Let’s start by looking at the four early models that led the way:


gantt
title Timeline of AI Image Generators
dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
tickInterval 12month
Dall-E Launch : milestone, m1, 2021-01-05,
%%   section Open AI
Dall-E :aa1, 2021-01-05, 2024-10-30
%%    section Midjourney
Midjourney :done, ab1, 2022-02-01, 2024-10-30
%%   section Stable <br>Diffusion
Stable Diffusion :ad, 2022-08-22,2024-10-30
%%  section Adobe Firefly
Firefly  :crit,ae1, 2023-03-14, 2024-10-30
Midjourney Public Release : milestone, m2, 2022-07-13,

In January 2021, DALL-E was launched as the first practical AI image generator.

Although it was revolutionary, concerns over potential misuse, like deepfakes, kept DALL-E from being publicly accessible at first. It wasn’t until July 2022, a year and a half later, that Midjourney became the first image generation AI accessible to the public.

Considering today’s wide availability, it’s hard to believe that AI image generation only became publicly accessible just two years ago!

This Time, Focusing on Online Image Generators

Among the listed AI image generators, Stable Diffusion is notable for being usable offline, unlike others with strictly online access. Here’s a breakdown:

Online

  • DALL-E
  • Midjourney
  • Adobe Firefly

Offline (and online)

  • Stable Diffusion

In this article, I’ll focus on online image generation services.

DALL-E: Simple to Use Through Conversation

The illustration of a beautiful kimono fairy 2.png (4096×4096)
Created by Ayuna using Dall-E3

gantt
title Dall-E
dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
tickInterval 6month
section Open AI
Dall-E :a1, 2021-01-05, 2022-09-28
Dall-E2	:a2, after a1, 2023-08-20
Dall-E3 :a3, after a2, 2024-10-30
section Microsoft
Bing Image Creator:b1, 2023-03-21, 2024-10-30
Dall-E2 Public Release 2022-09-28 : milestone, m2, 2022-09-28,
  • First image generation AI
  • Usable in chat format with ChatGPT
  • Free unlimited access via Bing Image Creator (with speed limitations)

DALL-E launched in January 2021 as the first image generation AI. Its foundational technology, CLIP by OpenAI, greatly influenced later models like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion.

The illustration of a beautiful kimono fairy 3.png (4096×4096)
Created by Ayuna using Dall-E3

DALL-E was initially restricted from public access due to fears of misuse like deepfakes. However, after Midjourney and Stable Diffusion became available, DALL-E opened up to all users in September 2022.

Currently, you can generate up to two images per day with DALL-E 3 on ChatGPT, or use Bing Image Creator for unlimited, free access (speed restrictions apply).

Midjourney: Excelling in Art, Realism, and Animation

Beautiful illustration of a woman playing the flute in a painting style.png (1024×1024)
Created by Matsudrop using Midjourney V6.1

gantt
title Midjourney
dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
tickInterval 6month
section Midjourney
V1 :done, ab1, 2022-02-01, 2022-04-12
V2 :done, ab2, after ab1, 2022-07-25
V3 :done,ab3, after ab2, 2022-11-05
V4 :done,ab4, after ab3, 2023-03-15
V5 :done,ab5, after ab4, 2023-05-03
V5.1 :done,ab6, after ab5, 2023-06-23
V5.2 :done,ab7, after ab6, 2023-12-20
V6 :done,ab8, after ab7, 2024-07-30
V6.1 :done,ab9, after ab8, 2024-10-30
section Nijijourney
Nijijourney :done,n1, 2022-11-07, 2024-10-30
Midjourney V2 Public Release 2022-7-13 : done,milestone, m2, 2022-07-13,
  • Publicly released in July 2022
  • Now a paid service
  • Regular updates improving performance

Launched in 2022, Midjourney quickly became widely accessible and spurred significant growth in the AI image generation field. Initially free, the service shifted to paid plans in March 2023.

Anime illustration of a parent and child dolphin bouncing at the venue.png (1095×616)
Created by Matsudrop using Midjourney V6.1

Midjourney is frequently updated, and its performance has steadily improved. While initially known for its artistic painting-style images, it now produces high-quality, realistic outputs too.

Nijijourney, a model specialized in illustration, was also introduced, making it easy to create high-quality artwork.

Adobe Firefly: Clean and Natural-Looking Photos

Friendly Golden Retriever playing with an elderly male owner.png (2048×2048) 

gantt
title Adobe Firefly
dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
tickInterval 6month
section Firefly
Firefly  :crit,ac1, 2023-03-14, 2023-06-05
Firefly 2	:crit,ac2, after ac1, 2024-04-23
Firefly 3 :crit,ac3, after ac2, 2024-10-30
Firefly 2 Public Release 2023-9-13 : crit,milestone, m2, 2023-09-13,
  • Developed by Adobe
  • Integrates with Photoshop and Illustrator
  • Trained on a clean, copyright-safe dataset

Firefly is newer to the AI image generation field and has room to improve in image quality. However, it handles complex scenes, like group photos, impressively.

Firefly A photograph of young white men, one British, one Polish, and one English, eating a sumptuou (4).png (2048×2048)

By linking directly with Photoshop and Illustrator, it performs well in high-resolution work and retouching. Firefly’s focus on clean, copyright-compliant data makes it suitable for commercial use.

However, because Adobe Stock includes AI-generated submissions, “fully clean” is debatable.

Online Services: Simple and Safe

The online image generation services from major companies are well-regulated and have the following advantages:

  • Easy to use with prompts only
  • Filters to prevent inappropriate images
  • Regularly updated

Although online services offer fewer configuration options, they let users focus on prompt input, which makes generating the desired images easier.

Fireworks illuminating a river bridge in a painting style.png (1456×816)
Created by Matsudrop using Midjourney V6.1

Because online services are regularly updated, they improve over time with minimal effort from users, optimizing performance and minimizing common issues like broken fingers in images.

Downsides of Online Services

  • Limited in specific expressions
  • Restricted content
  • Future changes possible

Prompt adjustment works well for image generation, but specific poses or fine adjustments are more feasible with local setups.

Real photo illustration of pretty woman's feet in high heels and stockings.png (2048×2048)

Certain prompts may lead to images flagged as inappropriate, like dresses or skirts, making some art challenging to generate.

Conclusion

This time, we covered three leading image generation services in the AI field.

  • Image generation AI began with Dall-E and Midjourney.
  • Online services are convenient and secure.
  • However, they do come with limitations, and it’s essential to consider potential future risks.

The three services introduced here are all recommended for anyone looking to start exploring AI image generation.

In the next part, we’ll delve into Stable Diffusion and related applications.

Thank you for reading to the end!

Creator Introductions

For this post, I collaborated with two creators who provided works created with Dall-E3 and Midjourney, platforms I haven’t personally used yet.

Dall-E3: Ayuna

Midjourney: Matsudrop

Both creators have their own unique worlds that they express beautifully in their work.

Thank you both for sharing your creations!

Note: The copyright of the illustrations in this article belongs to the respective creators. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.