In recent months, AI image generators have grown in popularity due to the emergence of deepfakes – digital images and videos altered to make it appear as if someone else had said or done something other than what actually happened. However, this newfound popularity appears to have been short-lived, as one of the leading AI image generators, Midjourney, has recently announced that it will no longer be offering free trials due to “abuse” from users.
The announcement comes shortly after a number of controversial deepfake videos went viral, ranging from false political statements to celebrity impersonations. Many of these videos were created using AI image generators such as Midjourney, prompting widespread backlash from both users and authorities alike. In response to this backlash, Midjourney has decided to end its free trial program and has cited “abuse” as the main reason.
In a statement, the company stated that “abusing our technology to misrepresent people and manipulate media goes against our mission of creating safe, secure tools that protect users’ rights to self-expression.” In addition, Midjourney also said that it would be increasing security measures to ensure that its technology is not misused in the future.
The decision by Midjourney to end its free trial program is a huge blow to deepfakers and enthusiasts, as the software was one of the most popular tools for creating deepfake videos. It remains to be seen how this decision will impact the use of deepfakes in the future, but it does illustrate the importance of taking ethical considerations into account when using powerful AI technologies.
Regardless of what happens next, this decision by Midjourney serves as a warning to all those who seek to abuse AI image generators for nefarious purposes: you may get away with it for a time, but eventually, it is likely that you will face serious consequences.