AI influencers are getting filthy rich... let's build one

Fireship
29 Nov 202304:25

TLDRExplore the world of AI influencers with 'Itana', a virtual Instagram model from Barcelona making $10,000 monthly from her subscription tier. As revealed in the video, Itana isn't human but an artificial creation designed using open-source generative image models like Stable Diffusion XL. The video delves into the evolution of AI over the past decade, highlighting tools that generate realistic images and their potential for financial gain. It introduces several user-friendly AI interfaces and explains how to create an AI influencer from scratch, emphasizing the accessibility of these technologies and their powerful capabilities in image manipulation and creation.

Takeaways

  • 🚀 Itana, an AI influencer, is an artificial woman who has gone viral on Instagram and earns significant income from her subscription tier.
  • 📅 The video is dated November 29th, 2023, and discusses the creation of AI influencers using open-source generative image models.
  • 🔍 The first generative adversarial networks (GANs) were primitive compared to current models that can produce highly realistic images.
  • 💰 The agency behind AI influencers is making a six-figure income, which the narrator finds concerning.
  • 🤖 There's a growing open-source ecosystem for generative AI, with models like Stable Diffusion XL and checkpoints available for customization.
  • 💻 Tools like Midjourney and Dolly are paid and closed-source, but there are open-source alternatives that lack unwanted safety layers.
  • 🌐 Websites like Civit AI host various checkpoints optimized for photorealism, which can be used to fine-tune base models.
  • 📈 The Stable Diffusion Fusion web UI and Comfy UI are options for working with generative AI models without coding, but Focus is recommended for its intuitive UI.
  • 🎨 Focus allows users to generate images with different styles, such as retro video game or anime styles, and offers advanced options for customization.
  • 🧩 To create an AI influencer, use a specific prompt, add imperfections for realism, and blend multiple images and text for continuity.
  • 🖼️ Imperfections in generated images can be fixed by using tools to paint over the problematic areas and regenerate those parts.
  • 📹 The potential for video content creation with AI has expanded with platforms like Stability AI's Stable Diffusion Video.

Q & A

  • Who is Itana and what makes her unique?

    -Itana is an artificial Instagram model from Barcelona who has been gaining popularity for her realistic appearance and lifestyle, which includes interests in fitness and video games. What makes her unique is that despite her lifelike persona, she is not a biological female but an entirely artificial creation, designed to generate income through subscription tiers.

  • What is the significance of November 29th, 2023 in the video?

    -November 29th, 2023 is the date mentioned in the video when the information about building AI influencers and using generative image models was discussed. It serves as a reference point for the viewers to understand the timeline of the technological advances being described.

  • What are generative adversarial networks and their role in creating realistic images?

    -Generative adversarial networks (GANs) are a class of machine learning frameworks where two neural networks contest with each other to generate new, synthetic instances of data that can pass for real data. They are crucial in the field of AI for creating highly realistic images and have evolved significantly over the past decade from producing low-quality images to high-resolution, realistic ones.

  • How do subscription tiers contribute to the income of AI influencers like Itana?

    -Subscription tiers offer additional, often exclusive, content to subscribers for a fee. For AI influencers like Itana, these tiers, which include photos and potentially other personalized content, generate significant income, reportedly around $10,000 per month in Itana's case.

  • What ethical concerns are raised by the creation and monetization of AI influencers?

    -The creation and monetization of AI influencers raise ethical concerns including deception, as users may believe they are interacting with real humans, and exploitation, particularly if the content targets vulnerable populations. Additionally, such practices can perpetuate unrealistic beauty standards and affect the psychological well-being of consumers.

  • What are the main tools mentioned for building AI influencers and how do they differ?

    -The tools mentioned include open-source models like Stable Diffusion XL and commercial platforms like MidJourney and DALL-E from OpenAI. The main differences lie in accessibility and cost, with open-source models being free and customizable, while commercial ones often require payment and come with pre-set safety features.

  • What is the role of 'checkpoints' in fine-tuning generative models?

    -Checkpoints are specific states saved during the training of a model that capture the progress of the model at that point. They allow for the fine-tuning of large models like Stable Diffusion XL with specialized training data to enhance their ability to produce more specific or realistic outputs without retraining from scratch.

  • Describe the user interface options mentioned for working with generative AI models.

    -The video mentions several user interfaces including Stable Diffus Fusion web UI, Comfy UI, and Focus (or Fucus). These interfaces vary in complexity and ease of use, from advanced options with many controls to simpler, drag-and-drop editors that appeal to beginners or those not wanting to write code.

  • How can imperfections be addressed when creating images of AI influencers?

    -Imperfections in generated images can be addressed using tools like in-paint and out-paint in the AI interface, which allow users to specify areas of the image that need correction. The system then regenerates these parts to create a more polished final image.

  • What future technologies are hinted at in the video and their potential impact?

    -The video references the development of text-to-video platforms and enhancements to video generation technologies like Stable Diffusion Video. These advancements could significantly impact content creation, offering new ways to generate dynamic and engaging content, though they also raise concerns about deepfakes and misinformation.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Introduction to an Artificial Instagram Influencer

The video introduces Itana, an artificial Instagram model from Barcelona who is gaining popularity. Despite her digital nature, she presents as down-to-earth, with interests in fitness and video games. She earns significant income through a subscription tier, emphasizing the advanced capabilities of AI in creating realistic and engaging online personas. The video aims to demystify the technology behind such AI influencers, using open-source models like Stable Diffusion XL, and offers a guide on building your own AI influencer using these tools. It discusses the evolution of generative adversarial networks over the past decade, highlighting their current ability to produce high-resolution, realistic images. The segment is critical of the ethical implications of such AI, noting its potential negative impact on societal norms, particularly targeting vulnerable audiences.

Mindmap

Keywords

AI Influencers

AI influencers are artificial entities, often created using advanced AI and machine learning techniques, that can mimic human personalities and behaviors online. In the context of the video, itana, an AI influencer, is an example of this phenomenon. AI influencers are significant because they can generate income through social media platforms like Instagram, and are part of a growing trend where technology intersects with social influence.

Generative Image Models

Generative image models are AI algorithms that can create new, original images from scratch. They are often used in the creation of AI influencers, as they can generate highly realistic images that can be used for promotional or deceptive purposes. In the video, models like Stable Diffusion XL and checkpoints like Juggernaut are mentioned, which are capable of producing high-resolution, realistic images.

Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs)

Generative Adversarial Networks, or GANs, are a type of AI algorithm that involves two neural networks, a generator and a discriminator, that work together to produce new data samples. They have evolved significantly over the past decade and are now capable of creating highly detailed images, as mentioned in the video, which are pivotal in the creation of AI influencers.

Checkpoints

In the context of AI and machine learning, checkpoints refer to specific versions or states of a model that have been saved during the training process. These can be used to fine-tune a model for specific tasks, such as enhancing photorealism in generative image models. The video discusses how checkpoints can be found and used to improve the output of AI-generated images.

Stable Diffusion XL

Stable Diffusion XL is a base model for generative AI, released in late July 2023, as mentioned in the video. It is a large-scale model that requires significant computational power but can be fine-tuned using checkpoints for tasks like generating photorealistic images. It is foundational in building AI influencers.

UI (User Interface)

A user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and computers occur, allowing users to interact with and manipulate software. In the video, different UIs like Stable Diffusion Fusion and Focus are discussed, which provide ways to work with generative AI models without writing code, making it more accessible for users to create AI-generated content.

Focus (Fucus)

Focus, also humorously spelled as 'fucus' in the video, is a user interface for working with AI models that allows users to generate images with a more intuitive interface. It is preferred by the video's narrator for its free use and similarity to other paid platforms, but without the associated costs or safety layers.

Gradio

Gradio is an open-source project that provides a framework for building web interfaces for machine learning models. It is mentioned in the video as the basis for many AI user interfaces, including Focus, which simplifies the process of creating a front end for generative AI models.

Text-to-Video Platform

A text-to-video platform is a type of software that converts text descriptions into video content. While the video discusses a closed-source platform by Pabs, it also mentions the introduction of Stable Diffusion Video by Stability AI, which is an open-source alternative for generating video content from text descriptions.

Imperfections in AI Images

Imperfections in AI images refer to the deliberate inclusion of flaws such as rough skin or no makeup in the generated images to make them appear more realistic and human-like. The video explains that adding such imperfections to the prompts used in AI image generation can enhance the authenticity of the AI influencer.

Continuity in AI Image Generation

Continuity in AI image generation is the ability to maintain a consistent style, appearance, and context across multiple images. The video emphasizes the importance of continuity, especially in facial features and hand details, to create a believable AI influencer that can be used for various social media content.

Highlights

Introducing Itana, an AI influencer who is an Instagram model from Barcelona, going viral with a down-to-earth personality and interests in fitness and video games.

Itana is not a biological female but an entirely artificial woman, challenging traditional notions of identity and influence.

The video discusses how to build your own AI influencer using open-source generative image models like Stable Diffusion XL and checkpoints like Juggernaut.

Generative adversarial networks have evolved from producing low-resolution images to high-resolution realistic images in just 10 years.

AI-generated images are being used to trick people into buying NSFW content, raising ethical concerns.

The agency behind AI influencer models is making a six-figure income, highlighting the financial potential of this technology.

The video aims to reverse-engineer AI influencer technology for financial gain rather than consuming unethical content.

Open-source tools like Mid-Journey and Dolly are available, but they come with unwanted safety layers and are paid products.

Stable Diffusion XL is a well-known base model for generative AI, released in late July 2023.

Checkpoints can fine-tune gigantic models like Stable Diffusion XL using specialized training data.

Civit AI is a website hosting various checkpoints optimized for photo realism.

Stable Diffusion Fusion web UI and Comfy UI are options for working with generative models without coding.

Focus UI is favored for its intuitive interface and the ability to generate quality images quickly.

Focus UI allows for customizing image generation with options for performance, aspect ratio, and style.

Creating an AI influencer involves generating a base image with specific prompts and adding imperfections for realism.

Advanced features in Focus UI enable blending multiple images and text, and face swapping for continuity.

In-paint and out-paint tools can be used to fix imperfections in generated images.

The video concludes with a demonstration of creating an artificial influencer and mentions the potential of AI in generating video content.

Stability AI's introduction of Stable Diffusion Video opens up new possibilities for content creation.