Stable diffusion VS Midjourney: All you need to know

CoolTechZone
18 Nov 202308:18

TLDRThe video script compares two AI image generators, Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, highlighting their differences in terms of accessibility, customization, and quality. Stable Diffusion is an open-source, flexible tool with a strong community but requires technical knowledge. Midjourney, while not open-source and subscription-based, offers high-quality, beginner-friendly image generation. The script also touches on the training methods and copyright issues surrounding AI-generated art.

Takeaways

  • 🌟 AI art is a trending topic with questions about accessibility and the future of high-level AI image generation.
  • 🆓 Stable Diffusion is an open-source text-to-image generator available for free, supporting customization and community expansion.
  • 🔒 Midjourney AI image generator is not open-source and requires a paid subscription, with pricing similar to standard Netflix plans.
  • 🎨 Both Stable Diffusion and Midjourney have their strengths; Stable Diffusion in flexibility and Midjourney in high-quality, beginner-friendly results.
  • 💻 Stable Diffusion can be run locally or on a cloud server, requiring a powerful PC, while Midjourney requires an internet connection via Discord.
  • 📚 Stable Diffusion learns image generation by 'destroying' images and rebuilding them from data scraps, using a large dataset of art pieces.
  • 🤖 Midjourney's training approach is speculated to combine Stable Diffusion with a large language model, understanding text-image relationships.
  • 🌐 Images for training AI generators come from vast datasets like LAION-5B, raising copyright concerns as creators are not credited.
  • ⚖️ AI-generated art cannot be copyrighted in the US as of August 2023, except when modified by human artists, which may qualify for copyright.
  • 📈 The open-source nature of Stable Diffusion is seen as a fertile ground for technological advancement, but only time will tell which approach is more potent.

Q & A

  • What are the two AI image generators discussed in the transcript?

    -The two AI image generators discussed are Stable Diffusion and Midjourney.

  • Is Stable Diffusion an open-source or a closed-source tool?

    -Stable Diffusion is an open-source text-to-image generator.

  • What are the advantages of using Stable Diffusion?

    -Stable Diffusion offers thousands of custom models tailored to specific styles, extreme flexibility in customization, and has a dedicated community expanding its capabilities daily.

  • What are the downsides of using Stable Diffusion for inexperienced users?

    -Stable Diffusion is hard to run for inexperienced users and requires a significant amount of learning to master.

  • How does one access and use Midjourney AI image generator?

    -Using Midjourney requires a subscription, which is quite expensive, and it operates through a Discord bot that needs a constant internet connection.

  • What are the main differences in the training approaches of Stable Diffusion and Midjourney?

    -Stable Diffusion learns by progressively adding and then removing noise from images, while Midjourney is speculated to combine the Stable Diffusion approach with a large language model trained on text and images.

  • What is the source of the images used for training these AI generators?

    -The images primarily come from LAION-5B, a dataset with over 6 billion images with text descriptions.

  • How does Midjourney handle explicit content in its generated images?

    -Midjourney has a strict ban on any explicit imagery, unlike the open-source Stable Diffusion which does not have such restrictions.

  • Can AI-generated art be copyrighted?

    -As of August 2023, AI-generated art cannot be copyrighted in the US because it lacks human authorship. However, if a human artist uses AI to generate images and then modifies them creatively, the resulting work may be eligible for copyright.

  • What is the main takeaway from comparing Stable Diffusion and Midjourney?

    -Stable Diffusion is free and flexible but requires more technical knowledge, while Midjourney is easier to use and generally provides higher quality results but requires a subscription.

  • What is the future outlook suggested for AI image generators?

    -The future is uncertain, but the open-source approach of Stable Diffusion is believed to be more conducive to nurturing the technology, though only time will tell which approach will prevail.

Outlines

00:00

🖌️ AI Art Generation: Free vs. Paid

This paragraph discusses the current landscape of AI art generation, focusing on the availability of high-level AI image generation tools and the comparison between two prominent examples: Stable Diffusion and Midjourney. It highlights the open-source nature of Stable Diffusion, which is freely available and customizable with a variety of models, but can be challenging for inexperienced users. In contrast, Midjourney is a subscription-based service with less customization but higher-quality, beginner-friendly output. The paragraph also touches on the technical aspects of running these tools, with Stable Diffusion being able to run locally or on a cloud server, while Midjourney requires an internet connection through a Discord bot.

05:03

🌟 Community and Quality in AI Art Generation

The second paragraph delves into the strengths and weaknesses of Stable Diffusion and Midjourney in terms of community involvement and image quality. It emphasizes the creativity and contributions of the community in enhancing Stable Diffusion through fine-tuned models, even enabling artistic transformations of videos. The paragraph also contrasts this with Midjourney's single, constantly updated model, which produces higher quality images that closely match the prompts. Additionally, it addresses the differences in content restrictions between the two platforms, with Midjourney banning explicit imagery and Stable Diffusion allowing more freedom, including NSFW content. The discussion concludes with a reflection on the copyright implications of AI-generated art, clarifying that as of August 2023, AI-generated art without human input cannot be copyrighted in the US, but human-modified AI art may qualify for copyright protection.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡AI art

AI art refers to the creation of artistic works, such as images or animations, using artificial intelligence. In the context of the video, AI art is the central topic being discussed, with a focus on AI image generation and the tools used to create it. The video explores the capabilities and differences between two AI image generators, Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, which are key to producing AI art.

💡Stable Diffusion

Stable Diffusion is an open-source text-to-image generator that is freely available for anyone to use. It is known for its flexibility, as it supports thousands of custom models tailored to specific styles and has a dedicated community that expands its possibilities. However, it requires technical knowledge and learning to operate effectively.

💡Midjourney

Midjourney is an AI image generator that is not open-source and requires a subscription for use. It is known for its high-quality results and beginner-friendly interface, only requiring a Discord account for access. Despite its ease of use, it is less customizable than Stable Diffusion and has fewer models.

💡Open-source

Open-source refers to software or tools whose source code is made available to the public, allowing anyone to view, use, modify, and distribute the software. In the context of the video, Stable Diffusion is an open-source AI image generator, which means it is freely accessible and customizable by its community of users.

💡Customization

Customization in the context of AI image generators like Stable Diffusion refers to the ability to modify and tailor the AI models to produce specific styles or types of images. The video highlights that Stable Diffusion offers a high level of customization with thousands of models for different styles, whereas Midjourney has fewer models and is less customizable.

💡Training data

Training data consists of the datasets used to teach AI systems how to perform specific tasks, such as generating images. In the case of AI art generators, training data includes images, photographs, and text descriptions that help the AI learn the relationship between text prompts and visual outputs.

💡Copyright

Copyright refers to the legal rights that protect original works of authorship, including artistic works. The video discusses the complexities of copyright in relation to AI-generated art, noting that as of August 2023, AI-generated art without human input cannot be copyrighted in the US. However, if a human artist uses AI to generate images and then modifies them creatively, the resulting work may be eligible for copyright.

💡Legal issues

Legal issues in the context of AI art generation pertain to the rights and responsibilities associated with creating and using AI-generated content. The video touches on the potential legal ramifications of using AI to replicate an artist's style without permission and the copyright infringement lawsuit faced by Midjourney due to its training data sources.

💡Community

In the context of AI image generators, the community refers to the group of users and developers who contribute to the development, improvement, and customization of the tools. The video highlights the importance of the community in expanding the capabilities of open-source tools like Stable Diffusion, as they create and share custom models and techniques.

💡Fine-tuned models

Fine-tuned models are AI models that have been further trained on a smaller, more specific dataset to improve their performance in generating content within that particular domain or style. In the video, it is mentioned that Stable Diffusion's fine-tuned models are popular in the community because they can produce images closely resembling the chosen style or mimicking a specific artist's work.

💡Commercial use

Commercial use refers to the application of a product, service, or work for financial gain or profit. The video discusses the commercial potential of images created with AI art generators, noting that Stable Diffusion claims any image created with it can be used commercially, although users may be held responsible depending on local copyright laws.

Highlights

AI art is one of the hottest topics in AI discussion, with questions about the accessibility of high-level AI image generation.

Stable Diffusion is an open-source text-to-image generator that is freely available and supports thousands of custom models.

Stable Diffusion offers an extremely flexible customization model and has a dedicated community that expands its possibilities daily.

Running Stable Diffusion requires some learning and may be difficult for inexperienced users.

Midjourney AI image generator is not open source and requires a paid subscription for use.

Midjourney's basic plan is almost as expensive as the Netflix standard pricing, with restrictions on high-speed generation.

Midjourney is less customizable with only a couple of models but produces very high-quality results.

Using Midjourney only requires a Discord account, making it beginner-friendly.

Stable Diffusion can be run through a cloud server or locally, but it requires a strong PC for faster generation times.

Stable Diffusion learns to generate images by repeatedly adding and reversing noise layers over original images.

Fine-tuned models of Stable Diffusion, trained on narrower data sets, are popular for generating specific styles.

It's possible to replicate an artist's work with a certain accuracy using Stable Diffusion, which raises legal questions.

Midjourney is closed source, and its training methods are speculated to combine Stable Diffusion with a large language model.

Midjourney's training likely involves understanding the relationship between text and images using datasets like Microsoft's Common Objects in Context.

The images used for training AI art generators like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion come from massive datasets with no credited creators.

Midjourney faced a class action copyright infringement lawsuit, while Stable Diffusion, being free, is not under the same scrutiny for profiting from copyrighted material.

Stable Diffusion claims that any image created with it can be used commercially, but users may be held responsible for compliance with local copyright laws.

AI-generated art cannot be copyrighted in the US as of August 2023, due to the requirement of human authorship.

If a human artist uses AI to generate and then modifies images, the resulting work may be eligible for copyright as an original human-created work.

The open-source approach of Stable Diffusion is believed to foster a more potent environment for technological growth.