👉 Enhanced AI editing in Microsoft Photos

Microsoft Photos has expanded its AI editing tools with Microsoft Designer, significantly improving image quality and editing speed. The new features enhance creative projects by offering better text recognition and faster processing times. These updates are designed to streamline the editing workflow, making it easier for users to produce high-quality visuals.

👉 Meta releases Segment Anything Model 2

The Segment Anything Model 2 (SAM 2) enables precise object segmentation in images and videos with improved performance and real-time interactivity. It excels in identifying and tracking objects, even in unfamiliar contexts, allowing for refined selections interactively. SAM 2’s robust capabilities make it suitable for a wide range of applications in media, entertainment, and beyond.

👉 Midjourney version 6.1 released

Midjourney has launched Version 6.1 of its image model, featuring major improvements in coherence and image quality. Users can expect faster processing times, enhanced detail in images, and new personalization options that cater to individual preferences. This update makes V6.1 the default model, with further enhancements already planned for the future.
This new version brings:
- More coherent images (arms, legs, hands, bodies, plants, animals, etc)
- Much better image quality (reduced pixel artifacts, enhanced textures, skin, etc)
- New 2x upscalers with much better image / texture quality
- Improved text accuracy (when drawing words via “quotations” in prompts)
- A new personalization model with improved nuance, surprise, and accuracy
- And more…

V6.1 currently does not have a new inpainting/outpainting model so if you use zoom/reframe/repaint/vary region it will fall back to the V6.0 model

👉 Instagram's AI character creation

Instagram now allows users to create AI versions of themselves, enhancing the platform's interactive capabilities. This new feature fosters creativity and self-expression, making social interactions more engaging and personalized. The introduction of AI characters aligns with broader trends in digital experiences, inviting users to explore their identities in novel ways.

👉 WPP and NVIDIA's 3D collaboration

WPP has partnered with NVIDIA to develop generative 3D worlds, leveraging cutting-edge AI technology to create immersive experiences. This collaboration aims to push the boundaries of digital storytelling and marketing, enabling brands to engage audiences in innovative ways. The initiative reflects a growing trend in utilizing advanced AI to enhance creativity in various industries.

👉 Canva Acquires Leonardo.ai

Canva has acquired the generative AI startup Leonardo.ai to enhance its design platform with advanced AI tools. This integration will provide users with improved text-to-image and text-to-video generators, expanding Canva's creative capabilities significantly. The move positions Canva as a stronger competitor in the design software market, catering to the growing demand for innovative design solutions.

This campaign unveils Ukraine's first-ever AI Olympic team, created to honor six athletes who lost their lives in the war. The young boxer Maksym Halinichev, who died on the front line in 2023 at the age of 22, Anastasiia Honcharova (cyclist), Fedir Iepifanov (fencer), Oleksandr Peleshenko (weightlifter), Mykyta Zasiadko (swimmer) and Mykola Zhydkov (footballer). Using AI, the initiative brings these athletes back to life digitally, allowing them to share their stories and aspirations during the Paris Olympics. This poignant tribute not only commemorates their dreams but also highlights the broader impact of conflict on sports and society.

_{Credits: TEAMBBDO / Brand Ukraine / Peter Schmidt Group}

Johnnie Walker's campaign invites consumers to collaborate with artist Scott Naismith to design personalized Blue Label whisky bottles. Using AI trained on Naismith's artwork, consumers can generate unique designs that are printed directly onto filled bottles, enhancing the personal touch of gifting. This innovative approach creates a memorable experience for whisky enthusiasts while promoting creative collaboration.
The Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith experience will be available for a limited time with every purchase of Johnnie Walker Blue Label in the Edinburgh retail store throughout August.

→ If you are in Edinburgh this summer, book your experience here

_{Credits: Diageo / Johnnie Walker / Scott Naismith / Phantom /}

Flux.1 is a new AI image generator developed by the German startup Black Forest Labs, founded by researchers who previously worked on Stable Diffusion. The flux.1 models outperform existing options like DALL-E and Midjourney in areas such as image quality and adherence to text prompts, particularly in generating realistic human hands.

Flux.1 is accessible through fal.ai, replicate.com or from hugging face.
You can find the full list here

On fal.ai, the flux.1 playground lets you add a prompt, select an image ratio, steps, seed, guidance scale, and the number of images you want.

On Replicate, it pretty much the same, but you can also select the output format (webp, png or jpg), and the output quality.

On Hugging face, the “schnell” version has less parameters, you can only add a seed, change the ratio and change the number of steps.

You can send us your creations by tagging us @themahazine on Twitter or Instagram, and we will reshare them!

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