Midjourney Nuked their Free Trial...
TLDRMidJourney, a popular AI image generation tool, has discontinued its free trial as of March 28, 2023. This decision was not primarily due to the viral political images of Trump and Pope Francis but because of users exploiting the system by creating multiple Discord accounts to bypass the trial limits. The real reason is the abuse of free trials through throwaway accounts, often facilitated by online tutorials and grey markets selling bulk Discord accounts. Despite losing free access, MidJourney gains from the increased visibility and new users willing to pay for its services.
Takeaways
- 😲 Midjourney, a popular AI art generator, ended its free trial on March 28, 2023.
- 🧐 Some speculated the free trial was canceled due to controversial images like Trump's arrest and the Pope in Balenciaga.
- 📰 The Washington Post published an in-depth article, leading to headlines suggesting the political images were the reason for the cancellation.
- 🤔 AI-generated images can be hard to distinguish from reality, causing confusion among viewers who aren't familiar with AI art.
- 💡 The real reason for ending the free trial was likely due to users exploiting the system by creating multiple Discord accounts for more free generations.
- 🔍 Midjourney suspected a viral how-to video in China contributed to the exploitation of their free trial.
- 🤑 Users could bypass the free trial limit by creating new Discord accounts, a method highlighted in YouTube tutorials.
- 💸 Some users turned to gray markets to buy Discord tokens or bulk generated accounts to continue getting free images.
- 🎯 Midjourney's cancellation of the free trial aimed to prevent exploitation and encourage users to subscribe to their premium plans.
- 📈 The company benefited from free advertising through viral images and tutorials, attracting new users interested in AI art.
- 💼 The decision to end the free trial was likely driven by profitability and business strategy rather than a commitment to 'AI for everyone'.
Q & A
What is Midjourney and how does it work?
-Midjourney is a Discord bot that allows users to generate images by typing in keywords. It has gained popularity for creating AI-generated images that can be incredibly detailed and diverse, ranging from abstract concepts to specific scenes.
Why did Midjourney's free trial end on March 28th, 2023?
-Midjourney's free trial ended due to a high volume of users exploiting the system by creating new Discord accounts to get more free image generations. This practice was causing financial strain on the company.
What is the connection between the AI-generated images of political figures and the cancellation of Midjourney's free trial?
-There was speculation that the free trial was canceled because of the viral AI-generated images of political figures like Trump being arrested or Pope Francis in unusual attire. However, the actual reason was the abuse of the free trial system by users creating multiple accounts.
How did people exploit Midjourney's free trial?
-People were creating new Discord accounts to get additional free image generations after their initial free trial was exhausted. This was seen as a loophole similar to a 'GTA infinite money glitch' and was a significant factor in the cancellation of the free trial.
What was the suggested solution to bypass Midjourney's free trial limit?
-Some users suggested making new Discord accounts to regain access to the free trials, and even purchasing bulk generated Discord accounts or tokens from gray markets to continue generating images for free.
How much does Midjourney's Premium plan cost?
-Midjourney's Premium plan costs range from ten to sixty dollars a month, depending on the tier of service chosen.
What was the impact of the viral how-to video in China on Midjourney's free trial?
-The viral how-to video in China likely contributed to a surge in new users exploiting the free trial by creating multiple accounts, which led to Midjourney pausing the free trial.
What is the narrator's opinion on the cancellation of the free trial and the business strategy behind it?
-The narrator suggests that while companies may claim they want AI for everyone, the reality is that profitability and business strategy often lead to the removal of free trials. They believe that Midjourney's decision was financially motivated.
How did the narrator describe the quality and realism of the AI-generated images?
-The narrator describes the images as extremely realistic and difficult to discern from actual photographs, especially when viewed quickly on a phone or social media platform.
What is the narrator's view on the future of free trials for AI art generation platforms like Midjourney?
-The narrator is skeptical about the future of free trials, suggesting that companies will prioritize profitability over offering free access to AI art generation tools.
Outlines
🤖 AI Art Controversy and Mid-Journey's Free Trial Cancellation
The paragraph discusses the impact of the AI art generator, Mid-Journey, which has gained popularity for creating images from incoherent keywords. It mentions the speculation around the cancellation of Mid-Journey's free trial, suggesting it was due to political images of figures like Trump and the Pope. However, the real reason behind the cancellation is attributed to users exploiting the system by creating new Discord accounts to get more free image generations. The paragraph also touches on the viral nature of AI-generated images and how they can be mistaken for real photos due to their high quality. It concludes by highlighting the business decision behind the cancellation of the free trial and the shift towards a premium model.
💰 Mid-Journey's Business Strategy and User Exploitation
This paragraph delves into the business aspect of Mid-Journey's decision to cancel its free trial. It points out that while the company received free advertising from viral AI images, it also faced financial strain due to users exploiting the system to generate images for free. The paragraph suggests that the cancellation of the free trial was a strategic move to both stop the exploitation and capitalize on the newfound interest in AI art. It also humorously acknowledges the speaker's own participation in exploiting the free trial and the irony of advocating for a system they themselves bypassed. The paragraph ends with a cynical view of companies' claims of wanting AI for everyone, suggesting that profitability ultimately drives business decisions.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Midjourney
💡Free Trial
💡AI-generated images
💡Discord
💡Viral
💡Exploit
💡Premium Plan
💡Gray Markets
💡Bypass
💡Token
💡Business Model
Highlights
Midjourney, a Discord bot, has revolutionized the art world by allowing users to generate incredible images with incoherent keywords.
AI-generated images have gone viral, such as Pope Francis in a Balenciaga outfit and Trump being arrested.
Midjourney's free trial ended on March 28th, 2023.
Some speculated the free trial was canceled due to controversial political images.
The Washington Post published an in-depth article on the subject.
Midjourney's cancellation of the free trial was possibly due to viral political images.
AI-generated images can be hard to distinguish from reality, as seen in the viral Trump image.
People exploiting the free trial by creating new Discord accounts led to its cancellation.
Midjourney suspected a viral how-to video in China contributed to the exploitation of the free trial.
Tutorials on bypassing the free trial are widely available online.
Discord accounts can be purchased in bulk on gray markets.
Creating multiple Discord accounts to exploit the free trial was a common practice.
Midjourney's cancellation of the free trial aims to prevent loss of revenue.
The viral images and tutorials provided Midjourney with free advertising.
Midjourney now offers a premium plan starting at ten dollars a month.
The speaker suggests that businesses prioritize profitability over providing free services.
The speaker predicts that the free trial might not be reinstated despite company statements.