Over the past year and a half, artificial intelligence has made mainstream advances.
The instant success of ChatGPT and other AI-based tools and services began what many believe is a new revolution.
It is now clear that AI offers endless possibilities. Although there is no shortage of new avenues to pursue, most applications rely on input and work from users. It’s fine for tech-savvy people, but some people prefer instant results.
For example, we’ve been experimenting with various AI-powered image generation tools to create stock images to complement news articles. All of these work to some extent, but getting the right output can be very difficult. Needless to say, it takes time and money.
stock cake
But what if someone created a stock photo website with over a million pre-populated, high-quality, royalty-free images? And what if all the photos on that site were in the public domain, so you could use them freely? Is that so? That’s wonderful.
input: stock cake…
StockCake is a new platform from AI startup Imaginary Machines. The site currently hosts over 1 million pre-generated images. These images are free to download, use and share. All photos are in the public domain, so there are no restrictions.
Such services are not very useful for people who want to generate completely custom images and photos. All content is pre-written and there are no options to modify the prompts. Instead, this site is aimed at people who need instant he stock images for their websites, social media, or other types of presentations.
Democratize media using AI
TorrentFreak spoke to Nen Fard, the founder of StockCake, to find out what motivated him to start the project and how he plans to develop it in the future. He said it has been his lifelong dream to share media freely online with those who need it.
“My journey in leveraging AI for media content began with a strong interest in the rapid advances in this field. It was when we observed that not only impressive standards were reached.
“This realization was pivotal and triggered the transition from idea to action. It led to the birth,” Fard added.
Careful readers will notice that some of Fard’s answers were edited using AI technology. But the message is clear. Fard saw the potential to create a vast library of stock photos and added them to his public domain, making them freely available to the public at large. And that wasn’t all.
stock tune
Shortly after releasing StockCake, Fard went live with another public domain project. Stock tune. This platform is almost the same, but focuses on audio instead. Tracks listed may be used free of charge without attribution.
It’s not hard to see how these two sites can replace the basic usage of commercial stock footage platforms. Although these sites are still in their infancy, they already offer a pretty good quality selection. At the same time, various AI filters have also been introduced to ensure that inappropriate content is minimized.
This AI technology is partially based on OpenAI and Stability AI, and also aims to ensure that the underlying model is legitimate. Although legal issues may always arise, both services strive to act fairly and can likely continue to grow indefinitely.
ever-expanding library
As of this writing, StockCake has a little over 1 million photos hosted on its site, while StockTune has nearly 100,000 tracks. However, this is just the beginning. The AI generates a new version every minute and adds it to your site if the quality is comparable.
In theory, there is no limit to the number of variations you can create. While quality comes first, our founder’s vision has always been to create unlimited access to media. This means the library continues to grow.
“The founding of StockCake and StockTune was driven by a vision to revolutionize the accessibility of media content. Unlike traditional platforms, we leverage the limitless potential of AI to connect an ever-expanding variety of Create a set of photos and songs,” Fard says.
Both stock media sites have something for the most common topics. However, you won’t find very specific combinations like “squirrel playing soccer.” For example, AI-rendered versions of some people, such as Donald Trump, also appear to be off-limits.
How to monetize public domain?
Although all of the above sounds very promising, your site may face many challenges. The platform is currently not monetized, but this should change as AI technology and hosting obviously come at a cost.
Fuld said he intends to keep access to the photos and audio completely free. However, he is considering options to generate revenue. Advertising is an option, but so are more sophisticated subscription-based services. Or in his words, amplified by AI.
“As our platform continues to grow and evolve, opportunities naturally arise to support our sustainability without compromising our values. We want our creativity to not be limited by financial barriers. We aim to foster community, and every advancement brings us closer to this goal,” Fard said.
For example, the developer plans to release a set of AI-powered tools for professional users that will allow them to personalize and scale up images as needed. It may be part of a paid service. However, he promises that existing footage will remain free and in the public domain.
“Looking to the future, we plan to introduce a series of AI-powered tools that promise to significantly increase the creative potential of our users. These include upscaling to produce high-resolution photos; Includes tools, style transfer tools that allow you to adapt your content to a specific artistic aesthetic, and character/object replacement tools for personalized customization.
C word
It’s remarkable that a small startup can create such a large amount of stock footage and share it freely. This may surprise some incumbents who are making millions of dollars from stock photo platforms. They can’t stop AI technology, but they can complain about it. And they do.
Getty Images, for example, sued Stability AI last year for using its stock photos to train models. This lawsuit is still ongoing. Fard doesn’t foresee any legal trouble, but he does have some thoughts about the copyright implications.
“At Imagination Machines, the powerhouse behind StockCake and StockTune, we believe that the essence of creativity and innovation should be accessible to everyone. This belief guides our approach to AI-generated media. By its very nature, it challenges traditional notions of copyright,” says Fard.
The site’s developer trusts its AI partners to respect existing copyright laws. And by placing all creations in the public domain, the company itself claims no copyright.
“AI-generated content currently has a unique position in copyright law. These laws were enacted in different eras, focusing on human authorship as the basis for copyright eligibility. But with AI’s incredible ability to generate original, high-quality photos and music without direct human creation, we are on the edge of a new frontier.
“We operate under the current legal framework, which allows us to make this content available in the public domain, as copyright protection does not apply to works created without human ingenuity. ”
StockCake and StockTune both have the potential to be disruptors, but Fard wants to act fairly and stay within the law. He also understands the law may change in the future and intends to make his voice heard in that discussion.
“Our goal is to not only resolve current legal issues, but also proactively advance legislation that recognizes the potential of AI to democratize access to creative content while respecting the rights and contributions of human creators.” ” concludes Fard.
With AI legal battles and copyright policy intensifying globally, there are certainly plenty of opportunities to make your case.
