The Downfall of Stability.ai - SD3 Banned on CivitAI - Stable Diffusion

Olivio Sarikas
18 Jun 202414:34

TLDRThe video discusses the challenges facing Stability AI and the broader AI industry, highlighting the conflict between open-source ideals and corporate interests. It details the backlash over licensing terms, the ban of the SD3 model from CivitAI, and the departure of key figures like Emad, who has started a new project, Shelling AI. The speaker calls for a realistic approach to AI development, advocating for decentralized AI models and a public space within AI, free from corporate control.

Takeaways

  • 🔍 The video discusses the potential downfall of Stability AI due to a growing gap between the open-source community and corporate interests.
  • 📜 There is a backlash against companies like Stability AI for trying to sneak in restrictive licensing terms without community consent.
  • 🚫 The SD3 model from Stability AI was banned on CivitAI due to legal concerns, reflecting a broader issue of legal repercussions in AI development.
  • 🤖 Open-source community members are wary of using SD3 for model training due to uncertainty about its future legal status.
  • 💡 The video highlights the theft of ideas and concepts from the open-source community by AI startups without proper credit or compensation.
  • 💼 Stability AI was founded with the vision of democratizing AI, but has faced challenges with corporate interests and investment pressures.
  • 💰 The company received significant investment, including a condition to purchase Intel hardware, which may have influenced its direction.
  • 🎨 The 1.5 model from Stability AI is favored by the community for its artistic capabilities and less restrictive nature.
  • 📉 Subsequent models released by Stability AI, like 2.1 and stxl, have faced community rejection due to increased restrictions and less artistic output.
  • 🆕 The introduction of new technologies like LCM, lightning, and turbo has enabled innovative AI applications, despite community concerns.
  • 🚧 The release of the SD3 medium model and its poor reception indicates internal struggles within Stability AI, including the departure of key personnel.
  • 🏁 The founder of Stability AI has started a new project, Shelling AI, which aims to create a decentralized AI model trained on supercomputers and personal computers.

Q & A

  • What is the main issue discussed in the video script about Stability AI?

    -The main issue discussed is the growing gap between the interests of the open source community and corporate investors, leading to potential downfall for Stability AI and reflecting broader 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 caused concern within the community, leading to a reluctance to use the model.

  • 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 tension and backlash between the community and companies over licensing terms and terms of service, with companies trying to sneak in rules without community consent.

  • What is the controversy surrounding AI startups and the open source community?

    -The controversy is that AI startups are accused of stealing ideas, concepts, and workflows from the open source community without giving proper credit or compensation, and then attempting to copyright these as their own developments.

  • Who are the core researchers behind Stability AI's German research project called Latent Diffusion?

    -The core researchers behind Latent Diffusion are Robin Rombach, Andreas Spatman, Patrick AER, and Dominic Lawrence, who are associated with the LMU Munich and Heidelberg University.

  • What was the reaction of the community 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, leading to a lack of adoption.

  • What is the significance of the investment Stability AI received from Intel?

    -The investment of $50 million from Intel came with the requirement to buy Intel hardware, which is seen as the beginning of the conflict between the idealistic vision of the startup creator and the corporate interests.

  • What is the current situation with the SD3 model's licensing terms that has caused such a stir in the community?

    -The licensing terms of the SD3 model are so restrictive that they have led to the model being banned on CivitAI and have caused fear of legal repercussions, prompting the community to stay away from it.

  • What is Emad's new project called Shelling AI, and what are its goals?

    -Shelling AI is Emad's new project aiming to create a value storage similar to Bitcoin, likely a cryptocurrency, and to use supercomputers and distributed personal computers to train decentralized AI models.

  • What is the speaker's resolution on how the AI industry and open source community should approach AI development and regulation?

    -The speaker suggests that the industry and community need to have a realistic view of AI, considering who AI belongs to, how it should be regulated, and finding a balance between freedom and necessary content regulations, treating AI as a cultural space and a basic right.

  • How does the speaker describe the current state of AI capabilities and the potential for future development?

    -The speaker acknowledges that while AI is still in its early stages with imperfect outputs, the current capabilities are already significant innovations. They encourage starting with building actual products and public AI concepts, rather than corporate-owned solutions with restrictive licenses.

Outlines

00:00

🚨 AI Stability and Open Source Community Concerns

The video script discusses the growing divide between the open source AI community and corporate interests. It highlights the backlash against companies like Stability AI for their licensing terms and the fear of legal repercussions, which led to the banning of the SD3 model from Civitai. The script also touches on the broader issue of AI startups allegedly stealing ideas from the community without credit or compensation, and the tension between the democratization of AI and the corporate push for profit. The video introduces Stability AI's founder, Emad, and his vision for democratizing AI, contrasting it with the corporate pressures from investors like Intel, who contributed to funding but also imposed conditions.

05:00

📉 The Evolution and Struggles of Stability AI Models

This paragraph delves into the history of Stability AI's models, 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 popular 2.1 and SXL models, which faced community rejection due to their restrictions and censorship. The script acknowledges the community's efforts to refine these models, leading to improvements, but criticizes the recent SD3 model for its quality and restrictive licensing terms. The departure of key team members and the founder's new project, Shelling AI, which aims to create a decentralized AI model using cryptocurrency and supercomputers, is also mentioned, indicating internal struggles at Stability AI.

10:05

🛑 Reflections on AI's Future and Ethical Considerations

The final paragraph calls for a realistic approach to AI, questioning who AI belongs to and how it should be regulated. It suggests a balance between freedom and regulation, similar to the internet, and emphasizes the need for AI to be a basic right without corporate control. The script discusses the current state of AI, highlighting its imperfections and the time and cost savings it offers to professionals. It concludes by urging the industry and community to build AI concepts that are accessible to all and not confined by corporate ownership and licensing, advocating for a public space within AI.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Stability AI

Stability AI is a company that has been central to the video's discussion. It is known for its AI models and has faced controversy over licensing terms and the gap between open-source ideals and corporate interests. The video mentions the company's struggle with balancing the founder's vision of democratizing AI with investor demands for returns, which has led to internal and external conflicts.

💡Open Source Community

The open source community is a collective of individuals who advocate for the collaborative development and sharing of software and other creative works without proprietary restrictions. In the video, it is mentioned that this community is witnessing a growing gap with corporate interests, especially in relation to AI models like Stability AI's, where there is a concern over potential legal repercussions and restrictions on model usage.

💡AI Bubble

The term 'AI bubble' refers to the speculative idea that the rapid growth and investment in AI technologies may be unsustainable and could eventually lead to a downturn or collapse. The video suggests that the issues surrounding Stability AI might be indicative of the first signs of such a bubble bursting, as there is a growing tension between the community and corporate entities.

💡SD3 Model

The SD3 model is a specific AI model developed by Stability AI that has become a focal point of controversy due to its licensing terms. The video discusses how this model was banned from CivitAI due to legal concerns, highlighting the broader issues of intellectual property and usage rights in AI development.

💡CivitAI

CivitAI is mentioned as a platform that had to take action against Stability AI's SD3 model due to licensing issues. This decision reflects the broader challenges faced by AI platforms in navigating legal and ethical considerations when integrating new technologies.

💡Investment

Investment in the context of the video refers to the financial backing Stability AI received, particularly from Intel, which came with stipulations that could potentially conflict with the company's open-source ethos. The video implies that this investment has put pressure on Stability AI to deliver returns, influencing its decisions and actions.

💡Licensing Terms

Licensing terms are the legal conditions under which a product or technology can be used. In the video, these terms are a point of contention, especially regarding the SD3 model, where restrictive terms have led to backlash from the community and the banning of the model on CivitAI.

💡Decentralized AI

Decentralized AI refers to AI models and systems that are not controlled by a single entity but are instead distributed across multiple users or nodes. The video discusses the dream of democratizing AI and the potential for decentralized models to allow greater access and freedom in AI usage, contrasting with the current centralized and restricted models.

💡Intellectual Property

Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. In the video, there is a discussion about the theft of ideas and concepts from the open source community by AI startups, which raises questions about the ownership and crediting of innovations in the AI space.

💡AI Research

AI research is the exploration and development of new techniques and technologies in the field of artificial intelligence. The video mentions the involvement of academic institutions and researchers in the creation of Stability AI's models, emphasizing the importance of research in driving advancements in AI capabilities.

💡Cultural Space

In the context of the video, 'cultural space' refers to the environment within which new cultural content is created and shared. The speaker argues that AI models should be accessible as a cultural space, free from corporate control, to allow for the creation of diverse and innovative content.

Highlights

The potential downfall of Stability AI due to a growing gap between open-source community interests and corporate/investor interests.

Backlash over licensing terms and terms of service in the AI landscape, with companies like Instagram, Adobe, and Stability AI facing scrutiny.

SD3 model banned from CivitAI due to legal concerns, impacting the open-source community's engagement with the model.

Open-source community members feeling their ideas and workflows are being stolen by AI startups without proper credit or compensation.

The founding of Stability AI by Emad, a former head fund manager with a vision to democratize AI research.

Partnership with German research project 'Latent Diffusion' for AI development, involving universities and key researchers.

Investment of $130 million, with conditions attached, creating a conflict between idealistic and corporate interests within Stability AI.

Community reception and challenges with different Stability AI models, including the well-received 1.5 model and the less popular 2.1 model.

The introduction of new technologies like LCM, Lightning, and Turbo enhancing AI capabilities and creating innovative results.

The release of the controversial SD3 model, which has led to legal issues and a ban on CivitAI, reflecting internal struggles within Stability AI.

Emad's departure from Stability AI and the launch of his new project, Shelling AI, focusing on decentralized AI models and a value storage system.

The need for a realistic approach to AI development, considering the foundational questions of ownership, regulation, and accessibility.

The importance of treating AI as a cultural space and a basic right, free from corporate control and censorship.

A call to action for the industry and open-source community to build AI concepts that are accessible and beneficial to all, not just corporate-owned solutions.

The current state of AI as a significant innovation, despite its imperfections, and its potential to revolutionize industries like animation and 3D art.

The story of an expert in animation and 3D art who has transformed his business using AI, significantly reducing production time and costs.

A reminder to appreciate the current capabilities of AI and to build upon them to create a more inclusive and publicly accessible AI space.