Midjourney AI Image Generator Pauses its Free Trials

Midjourney halted its free trials due to standard internet issues and extraordinary demand of users creating deep fakes. Let’s explore!

There is no end to the imagination of people. We all have seen the hype of AI image generator Midjourney. Anyone can create AI-generated free images on Midjounrney by giving prompts. But its free trials are paused now. Internet standards and excessive demand of users attempting to take unfair advantage of the free trial offer are the causes.

“As a result of unprecedented demand and trial abuse, we will temporarily disable free trials until we have our next improvement to the system deployed,” Midjourney founder David Holz wrote on the company’s Discord server.

The company has ended the free use of the tool. It is done in response to high-profile deepfakes created using Midjourney’s AI image generator. Using artificial intelligence, “deep fakes” create realistic-looking media by altering images, videos, and audio. It makes real people say or do things they never said or did. Even though deep fakes are often used to entertain and spread false information, they can harm reputations and influence opinions.

Must read: How to Use MidJourney AI?

In recent days, social media feeds have been flooded with images of Pope Francis in a Balenciaga puffer jacket or signing the hood of a Ferrari-esque sports car that was not real.

Secondly, as news of Donald Trump’s expected indictment spread, various fake arrests of the former president in various positions circulated widely. The company has expanded its banned words list as fakes have gone viral. Recently banning, the term “arrested,” for example. It appeared to be in response to an image thread on Twitter depicting Trump being arrested by investigative journalist Eliot Higgins.  After this incident, Higgins was subsequently banned from using Midjourney.

In response to this incident, Holz added that such restrictions could be easily circumvented. For example, during The Verge’s testing, it was impossible to generate images using the prompt “Donald Trump being arrested”. But the same output could be created by using the prompt “Donald Trump in handcuffs surrounded by police”.

Also read: The Ultimate MidJourney Cheat Codes Revealed!

Several generative AI sites, such as Midjourney and Playground AI, have implemented restrictions on prompts containing sexual content. However, there is still ongoing debate about the acceptable use of deep fakes since these sites create false images.

Midjourney offers subscription plans ranging from $10 to $60 per month depending on the user’s processing power and required features, and also provides annual subscription options.

It is still being determined how closing the free tier will address the issue at hand. Because Midjourney’s terms of service already prohibit offensive images of public figures or celebrities.

The production of misleading content is one of many issues with AI-generated images. There are long-standing concerns that these images may be stolen since they frequently use existing images as reference points. Although some companies embrace AI art, others are hesitant due to concerns about negative attention.

However, more than the images alone is needed to restrict or shut down Midjourney’s access. The company claims that the current ban on free trials protects its profits. It will encourage users to upgrade to a paid subscription rather than another free trial.

Holz, has suggested that the recent problematic political images were created using Midjourney v5. It is only available to paying users. When the free trial was open, users were restricted to the older v4 version, as per Holz’s statement.

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