The video explains how major payment companies like Visa and Mastercard are imposing restrictions on AI content, especially adult and celebrity likeness images, leading to stricter moderation and censorship on hosting platforms. It also highlights the potential of decentralized, peer-to-peer systems as alternative solutions to preserve free expression and bypass centralized control in the AI community.
The video discusses recent significant changes and challenges in the AI model hosting and image generation landscape, focusing on the impact of credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard. These companies are cracking down on certain types of content, particularly adult or “naughty” images, which affects platforms like Cividi that host AI models and images. Payment systems have historically played a role in regulating content, especially adult material, and their restrictions are now influencing what can be hosted, shared, or monetized online.
The speaker highlights that content deemed illegal or inappropriate, such as non-consensual or explicit material, is increasingly being restricted or banned from platforms. This is partly due to legal concerns but also driven by the policies of payment processors who do not want their brands associated with such content. As a result, platforms are implementing stricter moderation, tagging, and filtering systems to comply with these restrictions, which impacts user access and the visibility of certain images or models.
A key issue discussed is the use of celebrity likenesses in AI-generated content. While celebrities have valid concerns about their images being used without consent, the restrictions also affect creators who want to generate or share content involving celebrity likenesses. Platforms are avoiding monetization of such content, especially in advertising, because they cannot legally profit from images that use celebrity likenesses without permission. This adds another layer of regulation driven not just by law but by corporate policies and ethical considerations.
The video also explores broader implications for the AI community, including the potential for decentralized, peer-to-peer solutions as alternatives to centralized hosting and payment systems. Torrenting and open-content models could bypass restrictions imposed by banks and payment processors, allowing users to share models and images freely. The speaker emphasizes the importance of preserving freedom of artistic expression and legal content, suggesting that decentralized systems might offer a safer haven for free speech and innovation in AI, especially for content that is legal but not supported by mainstream financial institutions.
Finally, the speaker advocates for thinking about the future of AI and how control over its development and distribution should be managed. They suggest that decentralized, community-driven approaches could better safeguard independence and free expression, contrasting them with centralized platforms like Cividi that, despite their community efforts, are still vulnerable to external restrictions. The overall message encourages viewers to consider alternative solutions and to reflect on the importance of maintaining freedom and openness in the evolving AI landscape.