Midjourney Nuked their Free Trial...
TLDRMidjourney, a popular AI image generation tool, has recently ended its free trial. The tool, which allows users to create images from incoherent keywords, gained widespread attention with viral images such as those depicting Pope Francis in Balenciaga and Trump being arrested. While some speculated that the free trial's cancellation was due to politically sensitive images, the real reason is more straightforward. Users were exploiting the system by creating new Discord accounts to regain free image generation credits, a practice that Midjourney attributes to a viral how-to video in China. As a result, instead of offering a free trial, Midjourney now offers a premium plan starting at $10 a month. Despite the end of the free trial, the tool received significant free advertising from the viral images and tutorials, likely attracting new users interested in AI art. The summary underscores the reality that while companies may claim to want AI accessible to everyone, profitability often takes precedence.
Takeaways
- 🎨 Midjourney, a Discord bot, has become popular for generating impressive images from incoherent keywords.
- 🌐 The bot's free trial was discontinued on March 28th, 2023, leading to speculation about the reasons behind its cancellation.
- 🚫 Some believed the free trial was canceled due to the creation of controversial political images, such as Trump being arrested or the Pope in unusual attire.
- 📰 The Washington Post published an in-depth article suggesting the political images were the cause, which influenced public perception.
- 🤖 AI-generated images can be incredibly realistic and sometimes difficult for the average person to distinguish from real photos.
- 💡 Before the free trial was canceled, users could generate a certain number of free images with a Discord account.
- 🔄 Users could bypass the free trial limit by creating new Discord accounts to get more free image generations.
- 📉 Midjourney likely canceled the free trial due to the high number of people creating throwaway accounts to exploit the free image generation.
- 💰 The cancellation of the free trial prevents abuse of the system and encourages users to subscribe to Midjourney's paid plans.
- 📈 Despite the loss of the free trial, Midjourney gained significant free advertising from the viral images and tutorials, attracting new users.
- 💼 The company's decision to discontinue the free trial is likely driven by profitability and business strategy rather than just the viral political images.
Q & A
What was the reason behind Midjourney canceling their free trial?
-Midjourney canceled their free trial primarily due to the exploitation of the system by users creating multiple Discord accounts to gain free image generations. The company also faced a surge in demand after AI-generated images of political figures went viral.
How did the art world react to the Midjourney Discord bot?
-The Midjourney Discord bot took the art world by storm, allowing users to generate incredible images from incoherent keywords, thus becoming a go-to tool for many.
What kind of images were generated by Midjourney that went viral?
-Images of political figures like Pope Francis in a Balenciaga outfit and Trump being arrested were among the AI-generated images that went viral, contributing to the increased attention on Midjourney.
Why do some people believe that the viral political images were the reason for the cancellation of the free trial?
-Headlines from articles, such as one from The Washington Post, suggested that the cancellation was due to the viral political images, leading to this misconception.
What is the suggested method to bypass the free trial limit on Midjourney?
-The suggested method involves creating a new Discord account and then accessing the Midjourney server with the new account to regain the free image generation limit.
Why did Midjourney decide to keep their method of preventing alt accounts a secret?
-Their approach was to not disclose this information, hoping the problem would resolve itself or go away unnoticed.
What is the cost of Midjourney's Premium plan?
-Midjourney's Premium plan costs either ten, thirty, or sixty dollars a month, depending on the tier chosen.
How did the viral how-to video in China impact Midjourney's free trial?
-The viral how-to video in China likely contributed to a significant increase in the number of throwaway accounts being created to exploit the free trial, leading Midjourney to pause it.
What is the alternative to paying for the Premium plan for those who wish to continue generating free images?
-Users can purchase Discord tokens or bulk generated Discord accounts from gray markets to regain the free image generation limit.
What is the narrator's opinion on the future of free trials in profitable businesses?
-The narrator believes that despite claims of wanting AI for everyone, companies will ultimately prioritize profitability and may discontinue free trials if it benefits their business model.
What does the narrator suggest about the temporary nature of the free trial cancellation?
-The narrator suggests that while Midjourney might indicate the cancellation is temporary, based on historical business practices, it is likely a permanent move towards a paid model.
Outlines
🤖 Mid-Journey Bot's Impact and Free Trial Cancellation
The video discusses the popularity of the Mid-Journey Discord bot, which has been used to generate impressive images from seemingly random keywords. The bot gained widespread attention after creating images of political figures like Pope Francis and Donald Trump. Despite speculation that the bot's free trial was canceled due to the controversial images, the actual reason was the exploitation of the free trial by users creating multiple accounts to gain unlimited free image generations. This led to a significant financial strain on the service. The video also mentions that the bot's free trial cancellation was a strategic move to curb the misuse of the service and to encourage users to subscribe to the premium plan for continued use.
📈 Mid-Journey's Business Strategy and User Response
The second paragraph delves into Mid-Journey's business strategy following the free trial cancellation. Despite the loss of the free trial, the company received substantial free advertising from the viral images, leading to an influx of new users interested in AI art. The video suggests that the cancellation was a strategic move to not only prevent financial loss but also to capitalize on the newfound popularity and direct users towards their paid subscription plans. The speaker expresses a cynical view on the notion of 'AI for everyone', implying that businesses ultimately prioritize profitability. The video concludes with a reminder that companies may claim to support widespread access to technology, but their actions often align with maximizing profits.
Mindmap
Keywords
Midjourney
Free Trial
AI-generated images
Discord
Viral
Political Photos
The Washington Post
Gray Markets
Exploit
Business Model
AI Art
Highlights
Midjourney, a Discord bot, has become popular for generating impressive images from incoherent keywords.
The bot's free trial ended on March 28th, 2023.
Some speculated the free trial was canceled due to politically sensitive images.
The Washington Post published an in-depth article on the subject.
Midjourney's cancellation of the free trial was misinterpreted by some as a response to viral AI-generated images.
AI-generated images can be incredibly realistic and hard to distinguish from real photos.
The real reason for canceling the free trial was due to users exploiting the system with multiple accounts.
Users could create new Discord accounts to regain free image generations.
Midjourney's decision was influenced by the high volume of throwaway accounts being made for free images.
The cancellation of the free trial was also a strategic move to prevent financial loss.
Midjourney received free advertising from viral images and tutorials, attracting new users.
The company now offers a premium plan starting at ten dollars a month.
The speaker suggests that businesses ultimately prioritize profitability over offering free services.
The speaker admits to having exploited the free trial system themselves.
There is a possibility that the free trial suspension is temporary.
The speaker criticizes the idea of 'AI for everyone' when it conflicts with business profitability.
The use of gray markets to buy Discord tokens or accounts is suggested as an alternative to the premium plan.
The speaker discusses their past communication with Midjourney about exploiting the free trial.