Midjourney brings its free trial to a close as user numbers soar alongside lifelike depictions of Trump and Pope Francis.

According to a message on Discord, Midjourney's decision to terminate its free trial was driven by the 'extraordinary demand and misuse' reported during the period. The Washington Post In a comment, Midjourney's CEO David Holz expressed that many users in the free trial were taking advantage of the system, making the existing safety protocols inadequate.

Holz told The Verge The reason for pausing the free trial was highlighted as a result of 'a flood of people creating disposable accounts to obtain free images.' Holz indicated that this surge was likely fueled by a viral instructional video in China, coupled with a brief GPU shortage that led to service disruptions for paying users.

For those interested in continuing with the AI image generator, there is a monthly subscription fee that ranges from $10 to $60.

In addition to halting the free trial, Midjourney has been grappling with establishing content guidelines regarding the depiction of real individuals, as Holz shared during a Q&A with around 2,000 attendees in a Midjourney 'office hours' event.

This comes on the heels of hyperrealistic images of Trump being arrested and Pope Francis dressed in fashionable streetwear circulating widely online, created via Midjourney. The images associated with Trump’s arrest were produced by Eliot Higgins, founder of the investigative outlet Bellingcat, who was subsequently banned from Midjourney without an explanation.

As a result, the term 'arrested' has been officially banned on Midjourney’s platform.

The images were widely believed to have been crafted with another service that produces high-quality, realistic visuals without the distorted hands that often characterize Midjourney's version 4. However, Holz clarified that version 5 has never been accessible to users in the free trial. Midjourney 5 When it comes to content moderation, Midjourney’s policies specify that users must be at least 13 years old. Additionally, adult content, gore, and prompts deemed disrespectful, aggressive, or otherwise abusive are prohibited. Conversely, there are no clear limitations against creating images that pertain to political satire or defining what constitutes 'abuse.'

Holz remarked during the Midjourney 'office hours' that there’s a debate about whether to fully embrace a strict or a more laissez-faire approach, noting that the current middle ground can be quite challenging to navigate. prompt controversial.

He further mentioned that the company is actively developing AI moderation tools aimed at monitoring generated images for any violations. In a previous interview with the Washington Post last September, Holz noted that Midjourney along with other image generators face the intricate task of managing content in an age driven by sensationalism, where those whose careers rely on instigating outrage may exploit the technology.

Holz shared with The Verge that the Midjourney team is still figuring out how to reintroduce free trials. As they work to address misuse while maintaining the free service, perhaps it’s becoming apparent that AI on certain platforms is evolving so rapidly that even its developers find it hard to keep pace. Yuga Labs is poised to launch the Trial of Jimmy the Monkey. Animoca revises its target for a new metaverse fund down to $800 million.

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