What is Midjourney, and is it safe?

Midjourney is a generative AI tool that creates images based on text prompts you type. It uses artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing to generate realistic images that match your descriptions.

Midjourney AI offers a range of creative features, making it an attractive AI tool for people in various industries, especially marketing and communications. You can access Midjourney on Discord — a popular messaging platform used by people worldwide. While it used to be a tool you can play with for free, Midjourney users now need a subscription plan to generate images.

Yes, Midjourney AI is a safe tool for image generation. It appears to care about user data security and privacy, with several security measures in place to protect user data and keep out intruders.

For example, Midjourney uses encryption to protect data as it is stored and when it travels, though finding information about the type of encryption used is challenging.

The platform also has a clear privacy policy that outlines exactly what data the service collects and how it’s used. Providing transparency as a service is a big plus because it reassures users that the company isn’t up to something behind their backs.

However, though Midjourney takes steps to boost user safety, users still need to be careful when generating art with this tool. Working with AI image generators or any AI technology is new for most people. AI models come with various potential risks which we’ll cover in more detail below.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that Midjourney can only be accessed through Discord, which is a social media platform popular with young people. Like any social media site, it may pose privacy and security risks, so make sure you know enough about Discord safety before using it.

The Midjourney AI image generator uses various safety measures to ensure user data’s confidentiality and security. Let’s take a look at what Midjourney does to keep its users safe.

• The service uses encryption to secure user data when it’s stored and when it’s being sent between devices or servers.
• Certain phrases and words are banned as prompts to protect other users and stop people from creating inappropriate images. For example, adult content and gore images are banned.
• All content created on Midjourney must be PG-13 because the platform is an open-by-default community (meaning all resources are available to the public or other users).
• Midjourney keeps its privacy policy transparent and tells you exactly what information it collects and how it’s used.
• Midjourney adheres to data protection regulations and complies with international standards like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Complying with the GDPR means users can opt out of sharing personal information with Midjourney.
• According to the company’s privacy policy, Midjourney doesn’t share or sell user data for marketing purposes.
• The platform’s teams provide regular updates and patches to boost the security and performance of the Midjourney AI.
• If you want to access, change, or delete your data from Midjourney, you can contact the company directly at support@midjourney.com.

As you can see, Midjourney AI takes steps to ensure the platform isn’t misused. According to Midjourney, anyone who doesn’t adhere to the community guidelines will be removed from the platform.

Midjourney collects various user information — here’s a summary from the company’s privacy policy:

• Email addresses.
• User names.
• Image or text prompts users input.
• Public Midjourney chats.
• IP addresses.
• Usage data.
• Cookies.
• Contact information (e.g., phone numbers).
• Organizational information (like the user’s company title).
• Any other data that the user sends to Midjourney.

Midjourney AI uses this information to manage your account, get in touch with you, and for other purposes. According to the policy information on the company’s website, the data Midjourney collects about you is used:

• To continue improving the service.
• To manage your account and give you access to various functionalities.
• To contact you with informative communication, such as telling you about new functionalities or security updates.
• To provide you with news, special deals, and general information about similar products to Midjourney.
• To manage your account requests.
• For business transfers (e.g., evaluating and conducting mergers or restructuring).
• For other purposes, including predictive analytics, identifying usage trends, and evaluating the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

While many companies may collect your IP address, remember that you don’t have to share this information with anyone you don’t want to. Services like VPNs can hide your IP address from websites and ISPs so that you can enjoy more online privacy.

Midjourney is generally considered safe and trustworthy. It appears to have a robust data security system, including encryption, to ensure user data’s confidentiality.

However, like most online platforms, it isn’t perfect. While Midjourney can be an excellent tool for generating images, users need to be aware of AI systems’ ethical, legal, and data privacy considerations.

Even creators of AI technologies agree that using AI algorithms to create original artwork is still a gray area, meaning it’s sometimes difficult to know what’s classified as fair use. That said, Midjourney AI does provide users with guidance for fair image generation and use in the company’s Terms of Service. Make sure you read this document carefully before using Midjourney.

Like most online platforms, Midjourney AI comes with both pros and cons. Let’s take a closer look.

Pros of Midjourney AI

• 

  Anyone can use it. The appeal of Midjourney is that anyone can use it to generate art, ads, and other visual content — no creative skills or talent required. People without creative expertise can use it to express their vision and create high-quality images that don’t require input from a specialist.
• 

  Registered company. Though Midjourney AI is new and highly experimental, it is a registered company (Midjourney, Inc.). That means Midjourney has legal accountability and needs to follow the relevant laws and regulations. If something happens, you can even take legal action against the service.
• 

  Transparent data collection. Midjourney outlines what personal information it collects and how it’s used, which is something many other companies keep under wraps. The privacy policy is easily accessible to anyone.
• 

  Data security measures. Midjourney uses data encryption, which ensures user data’s confidentiality on the platform. It also takes other security precautions to keep user information private, which is reassuring — especially when working with new and rapidly developing AI technologies.

Cons of Midjourney AI

• 

  Ethical concerns. The big debate is whether using advanced machine learning algorithms to generate content and images is ethical. Because AI produces images that may replicate existing artworks, in some cases, it may infringe on the creator’s copyright. Additionally, AI models may reflect human biases — another important aspect to consider when generating images with AI.
• 

  Anyone can use your images. Midjourney is an open community, meaning all image generations are visible to other users. Even the images you’ve created on private Discord servers, on direct messages, or the web app.
• 

  Non-exclusive license. AI images are not protected by copyright law. Even if you typed the prompts to create the images that realize your creative vision, you don’t own them (i.e., they’re public domain). Someone else can use your image as it is or edit it to make it their own. If you opt for the most expensive plans (Pro or Mega), you may bypass some of these public sharing defaults — but not all.
• 

  Reliance on Discord. Right now, Midjourney is only available on Discord. You’ll need a Discord account to use Midjourney, which makes the process of getting started a little less straightforward.
• 

  Server overload. Midjourney uses Discord servers, which have been overloaded in the past due to traffic spikes. That was one of the reasons why Midjourney is no longer free to use. Although making it a paid service may have fixed the problem temporarily, server overload may still happen.

While Midjourney takes steps to prevent misuse of the platform, make sure that you’re also doing what’s in your power to stay safe. Like any platform, Midjourney comes with some online security and privacy risks, which you can minimize. Here’s how:

• Read the Terms of Service. Don’t skip over the terms of Midjourney — with new and rapidly developing technologies like AI, reading the terms is of utmost importance. When using Midjourney, you’re also agreeing to its terms, so make sure you know what you’re getting into. You’ll also get important information about intellectual property rights, including copyright and trademarks.
• Use AI responsibly. Using AI for creating art and other content comes with a lot of responsibility. It’s a new, exciting, and powerful tool that can easily become a double-edged sword. To protect yourself and others on Midjourney, always use AI responsibly and be mindful of the potential risks.
• Don’t upload personal photos. Midjourney AI allows you to share images as part of your prompts. Don’t share personally identifiable information (e.g., photos of yourself or people you know, card details, or license plates). Anything you upload to Midjourney is for public use, so your images will be visible and available to others. Be careful about what you share with Midjourney. Generally, you should be careful when sharing personal information online — the less you share, the better.
• Beware of fake websites. Midjourney has become so popular that cybercriminals are using this interest spike for malware attacks. According to several online forums, fake Midjourney websites are circulating the web, and are sometimes very similar to the legitimate platform. Be aware of scam websites and only access Midjourney through Discord.
• Use reliable antivirus tools. This tip isn’t limited to using Midjourney, but you should always have and use a reputable antivirus for better online safety. Make sure you run regular scans to keep your devices and the images you’ve created safe.
• Use a VPN. A virtual private network is an excellent way to boost your security on Midjourney AI. It secures your internet connection with encryption and hides your IP address for more online privacy. Using a VPN for Midjourney also allows you to access the platform from anywhere in the world, even from places where Discord isn’t available.

While Midjourney is generally considered a safe AI tool, it comes with several ethical and privacy concerns. Even though the company takes steps to improve data security and privacy, stay mindful of the potential risks and make sure you’re using Midjourney AI safely.

Before getting a Midjourney subscription, reviewing user feedback and the company’s Terms of Service is a must. Ensure you’re happy with the level of security it provides and the community guidelines before investing in this product.