Amidst fears of spreading misinformation, AI image generator Midjourney has blocked all prompts around US election candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Responding to an increased rise in doctored images, the ban on these searches aims to prevent a potential AI-generated scandal.
It's a smart move since Trump himself has proved even he can fall victim to the allure of artificial intelligence, after reposting a 'botched' AI photo of himself. Sensing that AI could only add fuel to the upcoming electoral fire, the choice to cease AI creations of the candidates is a necessary precaution. I will, however, be mourning the memes.
According to Associated Press, Midjourney CEO David Holz told his userbase during an event this Wednesday that it was time to "put some foots down on election-related stuff for a bit." While David says that he's uninterested in political discourse and feels that it defies the purpose of Midjourney, he's expressed a need to crack down on abuse of the generative AI before moderating becomes unmanageable.
Since the announcement, Midjourney users have received a "Banned Prompt Detected” warning when trying to generate images of the candidates. If the banned prompts persist, users receive a new message that reads "You have triggered an abuse alert.” It's currently unclear what action is taken against users who abuse the generator and some have criticised Midjourney's lack of clarity with the new system ban.
Other companies have already called the shots such as OpenAI, which has also banned Trump and Biden based content. Google's AI chatbot Gemini has similarly been prevented from answering any questions related to the election. The ban means no more AI-generated spaghetti dinners for Mr Trump and President Biden – a cruel but necessary evil.
For more AI news, take a look at Reddit's strong opinions on whether AI will replace graphic designers. If you need something a little more wholesome, check out Lunchables' adorable new campaign that proves AI is no match for a kid's imagination.
