Midjourney discontinues free trials of its AI image generator due to widespread misuse, according to CEO David Holz. Holz announced on Discord that the company had been forced to end the free trials due to the “extraordinary demand and trial abuse.” Despite implementing new safeguards, Midjourney has been unable to prevent misuse during the trial periods. As a result, users will now need to pay a minimum of $10 per month to use the technology.
The Washington Post reports that Midjourney’s AI image generator has received unwanted attention in recent weeks. Users have created deepfakes of high-profile individuals, such as Donald Trump and Pope Francis, which have caused concern that bad actors could use Midjourney and other similar generators to spread misinformation.
Holz has acknowledged the difficulties in establishing content policies, especially as the AI technology continues to enable ever more realistic imagery. Midjourney is hoping to improve its AI moderation to screen for abuse and prevent further incidents.
Other companies, such as OpenAI, have implemented strict guidelines to prevent misuse of their AI image generators. These guidelines prohibit images of ongoing political events, conspiracy theories, politicians, hate speech, sexuality, and violence. Stability AI, on the other hand, has relatively loose guidelines, with restrictions on copying styles and not-safe-for-work content, but not dictating what people can make.
