Stability AI's Community License Now Free for Most Uses

Stability AI has announced a new Community License that allows their AI models to be used for research, non-commercial, and commercial purposes. This move is aimed at recommitting to their customers and adhering to their core open-source principles.

Key Features of the License

The new Community License offers:

• Artist Friendly and Pro Creator Freedom: Supporting creative freedom for artists.

• Research Aligned: Facilitating academic and scientific research.

• Transparent and Clear License Terms: Providing clarity on usage terms.

• Community Focused and Values Driven Open-Source Philosophy: Emphasizing community engagement and values.

• Committed to Regular Communication: Ensuring ongoing dialogue with users.

Stability AI's Commitment to Quality

Stability AI is dedicated to releasing high-quality Generative AI models and technology, generously sharing these resources with their community. They acknowledged that their latest release, SD3 Medium, did not meet the high expectations of their users. In response, they have made improvements to address these concerns and continue supporting the open-source community.

Revised Commercial License

The commercial license initially associated with SD3 caused confusion, prompting Stability AI to revise the license terms. The new Stability AI Community License now covers recent models, including SD3 Medium, and has broader applications.

Objectives of the New License:

• Non-Commercial Use Remains Free: Individuals and organizations using Stability AI models for non-commercial purposes can do so without cost. This includes researchers, open-source developers, students, teachers, hobbyists, and fine-tuners.

• Free Commercial Use for Small Businesses: Small businesses with annual revenues under USD $1M can use Stability AI models and create derivative products for free.

• Fewer Restrictions: There are no limits on the number of media files that can be created under the Community License. Stability AI will not ask users to delete derived products as long as they comply with the license and AUP.

• Self-Reporting for Commercial Users: Commercial users with annual revenues below USD $1M need to fill out a brief form indicating their models of interest. Revenues exceeding USD $1M require an Enterprise license.

Addressing Quality Concerns

Initial testing of SD3 Medium indicated it was superior to SDXL in terms of prompt adherence, diversity, detail, and overall quality. However, community feedback highlighted critical quality issues, particularly with body poses and rare words. Stability AI is focusing on:

• Continuous Improvement: Enhancing SD3 Medium based on feedback, with an improved version expected soon.

• Model Usage: Researching optimal usage and fine-tuning techniques, sharing findings with the community.

Ongoing Support and Communication

Stability AI is updating their FAQ with additional details and encourages ongoing support from their users. With collective efforts, they aim to advance the frontiers of open Generative AI.