Midjourney is everything: the neural network for creating pictures is no longer free

Developer company midjourney closed free access to its neural network, which allows you to generate images from a text description. Now there is only a paid plan for $10 per month.

Midjourney CEO David Holtz noted on Discord that the company is phasing out the free trial due to "extremely high demand and abuse." According to Holz, the new security measures were not enough to prevent misuse of AI.

How explains The Washington Post, Midjourney has been the focus of unwanted attention in recent weeks. Many users have begun to use AI to create deepfakes with the arrest of Donald Trump and Pope Francis in a trendy down jacket. And while the images were quickly identified as fake, there are concerns that attackers could use Midjourney and similar generators to spread disinformation.

Midjourney acknowledges the challenges of setting content policies. In 2022, Holtz justified a ban on pictures of Chinese leader Xi Jinping by saying that his team wants only to "minimize the drama", and that any access in China is more important than allowing a satirical content.

The developers of similar solutions have already resorted to strict rules to prevent such incidents. OpenAI, for example, blocks any images of current political events, conspiracy theories and politicians. The company also prohibits content of a sexual nature and the depiction of violence.

Midjourney developers are now hoping to improve moderation to better detect abuse.