The Downfall of Stability.ai - SD3 Banned on CivitAI - Stable Diffusion
TLDRThe video discusses the challenges facing Stability AI, highlighting a rift between open-source ideals and corporate interests within the AI industry. The SD3 model's ban on CivitAI due to licensing concerns is a focal point, illustrating the larger issue of AI's future direction. The video calls for a realistic approach to AI development, advocating for a decentralized, accessible AI space free from corporate control, and emphasizes the need for a balanced regulation to foster innovation and creativity.
Takeaways
- 🔍 The AI industry is experiencing a 'wild west' situation with growing tensions between the open-source community and corporate interests over licensing and terms of service.
- 🚫 The SD3 model from Stability AI was banned on CivitAI due to legal concerns, reflecting a rift between the open-source ethos and corporate legalities.
- 🤖 There is a backlash against AI startups that are perceived to be exploiting the work of the open-source community without proper credit or compensation.
- 💡 Stability AI was founded with the vision of democratizing AI, but has faced challenges in reconciling this with investor expectations and corporate interests.
- 💸 Stability AI received significant investment, notably from Intel, which came with strings attached, such as requirements to purchase Intel hardware.
- 🔑 The community's favorite model from Stability AI is the 1.5 model released in October 2022, known for its artistic capabilities and less censorship.
- 🛑 Subsequent models released by Stability AI, such as 2.1 and stxl, have faced rejection from the community due to increased restrictions and perceived lack of artistic quality.
- 🆕 The introduction of new technologies like LCM, lightning, and turbo has enabled innovative developments in AI, offering new possibilities for creators.
- 🚧 The release of the SD3 medium model has been problematic, possibly due to internal struggles and the departure of key researchers, leading to quality issues and licensing concerns.
- 🏁 Emad, the founder of Stability AI, has left to start a new project, Shelling AI, which aims to create a decentralized AI model trained on supercomputers and personal computers.
- 🌐 The industry and open-source community need to have realistic discussions about AI ownership, regulation, and the balance between freedom and oversight to ensure AI remains accessible and culturally rich.
Q & A
What is the main issue discussed in the video script regarding Stability AI?
-The main issue discussed is the growing gap between the interests of the open-source community and corporate investors, which is causing potential downfall for Stability AI and reflecting bigger problems in the AI landscape.
Why was the SD3 model banned from CivitAI?
-The SD3 model was banned from CivitAI due to feared legal repercussions and licensing terms that the community found unfavorable, causing uncertainty about the model's future use.
What is the 'wild west situation' referred to in the AI landscape?
-The 'wild west situation' refers to the current state of AI where there is a lot of backlash between the community and companies over licensing terms and terms of service, with companies trying to sneak in rules without community consent.
How did Stability AI's partnership with the German research project Latent Diffusion come about?
-Stability AI partnered with Latent Diffusion, a project developed by two German universities, to realize the dream of democratizing AI and making it accessible to everyone.
What was the community's reaction to the 2.1 model released by Stability AI in November 2022?
-The 2.1 model was largely rejected by the community due to its restrictions and lack of artistic quality compared to previous models.
What is the significance of the investment Stability AI received from Intel?
-The investment from Intel, amounting to $50 million, came with the requirement to buy hardware from Intel, which introduced a conflict of interest and pressure on Stability AI to monetize their services.
What is the current situation with the SD3 model's licensing terms that led to its ban on CivitAI?
-The licensing terms of the SD3 model are so restrictive that they led to its ban on CivitAI, with fears of legal repercussions affecting even models trained on SD3's output.
What is Emad's new project called, and what is its goal?
-Emad's new project is called Shelling AI, with the goal of creating a value storage similar to Bitcoin and using supercomputers and distributed personal computers to train decentralized AI models.
What is the speaker's suggestion for the industry and the open-source community regarding AI?
-The speaker suggests that the industry and open-source community need to think more realistically about AI, considering its regulation, ownership, and the need for a public space within AI free from corporate control.
What is the current state of AI capabilities according to the video script?
-According to the script, AI is still in its early stages, with models not yet capable of producing perfect results in a professional environment, but the advancements made are significant and offer great potential for innovation.
Outlines
🚨 AI Stability and Community Backlash
The first paragraph discusses the growing divide between the open-source AI community and corporate interests. It highlights the controversy surrounding licensing terms and the fear of legal repercussions, which has led to the banning of Stability AI's SD3 model from Civi. The speaker also touches on the broader issue of AI startups allegedly stealing ideas from the community without credit or compensation, and the tension this creates. Stability AI's founding vision, led by Emad, a former fund manager with a passion for democratizing AI, is contrasted with the corporate pressures from investors, exemplified by Intel's investment conditions.
🛠️ Evolution of AI Models and Community Reception
This paragraph delves into the history of Stability AI's model releases, noting the community's preference for the 1.5 model released in October 2022 for its artistic freedom and capability. It contrasts this with the less successful 2.1 and stxl models, which faced community rejection due to restrictions and censorship. The paragraph also mentions the community's efforts to refine these models and the introduction of new technologies like LCM, lightning, and turbo, which have enabled innovative AI applications. However, the recent release of the SD3 model has been problematic, possibly due to internal knowledge gaps following Emad's departure and restrictive licensing terms that have led to its ban on Civi.
🔮 Reflections on AI's Future and Ethical Considerations
The final paragraph offers a reflection on the current state of AI, emphasizing the need for a realistic approach to AI development and regulation. It calls for a balance between freedom of creation and necessary content regulations, similar to the internet. The speaker advocates for AI to be considered a cultural space and a basic right, free from corporate control and censorship. They also caution against overestimating AI's current capabilities, sharing an anecdote about an expert who has successfully integrated AI into his workflow, despite its imperfections. The paragraph concludes with a call to build inclusive AI concepts that benefit everyone and create a public space within AI, rather than proprietary solutions restricted by licenses and paywalls.
Mindmap
Keywords
Stability AI
Open Source Community
SD3 Model
CivitAI
Licensing Terms
Investors
AI Bubble
Decentralized AI
Cultural Space
AI Regulation
Highlights
The potential downfall of Stability AI due to growing gaps between open source community interests and corporate investors.
The AI landscape is currently a 'wild west' situation with backlashes over licensing terms and terms of service.
SD3 model was banned from CivitAI due to legal concerns, causing uncertainty in the open source community.
Open source community members feel their ideas and workflows are being stolen by AI startups without credit or compensation.
Stability AI was founded with the vision to democratize AI, but has faced challenges with corporate interests and investment pressures.
Investment from Intel came with strings attached, requiring the purchase of Intel hardware.
The community's rejection of Stability AI's 2.1 and stxl models due to restrictions and lack of artistic freedom.
The introduction of new technologies like LCM, lightning, and turbo that enable innovative AI capabilities.
The release of SD3 medium, which has been met with controversy and poor quality concerns.
Civi's decision to ban not only SD3 but also models trained on its output due to licensing issues.
Internal struggles at Stability AI with key team members leaving, possibly due to conflicts between research goals and investor demands.
Emed, the founder of Stability AI, has started a new project, Shelling AI, focusing on decentralized AI models and a value storage system.
The call for a realistic approach to AI, considering its cultural impact and the need for regulation that balances freedom and control.
The importance of viewing AI as a basic right, with unrestricted access to models for cultural creation.
The need to temper expectations of AI's capabilities and focus on building AI concepts that benefit everyone.
A real-world example of how AI has revolutionized the workflow of an animation and 3D art expert, significantly reducing production time and costs.
The conclusion that AI should be developed as a public space, not a corporate-owned solution with restrictive licenses and paywalls.