AI is increasingly becoming a powerful tool for content creation, we are reminded that such technology also bears a responsibility and requires judicious use. A recent incident involving a user of the AI content creation platform, Midjourney, encapsulates the challenges and responsibilities that come with this new era of digital creation.
Consequences of Brown’s AI experiments
This someone, as revealed in a subsequent Twitter thread, was video editor Justin Brown, who shared his experience, stating, “I got banned from Midjourney AI for generating realistic images of politicians cheating on their wives for a series called ‘AI will revolutionize the blackmail industry,’ adding that ‘when used with intelligence and intent, AI can be a weapon.”
I got banned from Midjourney AI for generating realistic images of politicians cheating on their wives for a series called “AI will revolutionize the blackmail industry”
A couple thoughts on AI images from someone who’s good at making fake stuff 🧵
Trump cheating on his wife: pic.twitter.com/HjxBj7qdaR
— JTB (@jtbthought) May 26, 2023
While this exercise had a pointed message, Midjourney’s response was swift and unambiguous. The platform banned Brown, demonstrating its commitment to proactively combat the dissemination of AI-generated misinformation. As we inch closer to the 2024 elections, such measures appear increasingly necessary.
Midjourney et al have some safe guards in place, but you can get around them with creative prompting or repeated requests. These generators are mostly just mashing up photos available on the internet. Privacy, copyright, dignity, and safety be damned
Bernie cheating on his wife: pic.twitter.com/uxSCXevQFd
— JTB (@jtbthought) May 26, 2023
Best Midjourney settings for consistent output
The necessary precautions in the age of AI
Brown created visual representations featuring well-known political figures, including the current president Joe Biden, former president Donald Trump, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, and Florida governor Ron DeSantis. These manipulated images had different levels of believability, with certain ones being disturbingly convincing.
However, it’s worth highlighting that Brown was expelled from Midjourney only after he broadcasted these graphics on Reddit, thereby hinting at the prospect of others discreetly concocting similar imagery unbeknownst to Midjourney. Once his creations gathered some momentum on Reddit, the platform’s moderation team stepped in to remove the series, after which his ban from Midjourney was swiftly implemented.
As Brown shared with PetaPixel, “After gaining some traction on Reddit, the series was removed by moderators and the Midjourney ban followed almost immediately,” a narrative that subtly draws attention to a rather disconcerting reality: the possibility of similar creations flying under the radar.
In all fairness to Midjourney, the arena of politics has already seen the utilization of AI-crafted images, and the rising tide of deepfaked pictures and voices poses a formidable challenge to the integrity of democratic proceedings. Even well-intentioned creations like these might best be avoided, underlining the necessity for a stringent, no-tolerance stance on Midjourney’s part.
The validity of this argument is further supported by Brown’s own admission that some of the images have been repurposed outside their original context.
“I never presented the images [in the photo series] as real,” Brown told PetaPixel. “But I do know that some of those images have been taken and shared out of context by others, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there are some people who believed they were real.”
The story of Justin Brown’s encounter with Midjourney casts a revealing light on the power and the perils of this rapidly evolving technology. As we march boldly into an age of digital fabrication, the swift response of Midjourney serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for ethical boundaries and stringent control.
Ethical AI: AstraZeneca’s guidelines on applicable regulations
While Brown’s images were a potent demonstration of AI’s potential, they also underscored the alarming ease with which such technology can be misused. As we embrace the potential of AI, we must remain vigilant, ensuring its power is harnessed responsibly, ethically, and with a keen eye on preserving the integrity of our democratic processes. The future of AI is here, and with it comes a responsibility we cannot afford to overlook.
Featured image credit: Kerem Gülen/Midjourney
