NEW COMFY ECOSYSTEM! Comfy & mcmonkey QUITS Stability.
TLDRDeveloper Comfy and team member mcmonkey have left Stability AI, raising concerns about the future of the company's AI models. Comfy, who worked on the controversial Stable Fusion 3 model, has criticized management's push for the release of the 2B model over the safer 4B model. The departures have led to uncertainty about licensing and the potential abandonment of the project. Comfy is now focusing on expanding the Comfy ecosystem with a new team, aiming to democratize AI tooling and support the open-source community, while Stability AI faces a PR crisis and the need for transparency and better communication.
Takeaways
- ๐ Comfy, the developer of Comfy UI, has resigned from Stability AI.
- ๐ Several employees, including MCMonkey, have left Stability AI, impacting the development of the stable Fusion 3 model.
- ๐ฌ Comfy expressed his departure and thoughts on Discord and Reddit, indicating issues with the company's management and direction.
- ๐ค The 2B model was pushed for release by management despite being considered a failed experiment by the research team that has since left the company.
- ๐ Comfy was working on a T5 only 4B model which he believed would have been safer and more stable.
- ๐ The departure of key team members and the controversy around the 2B model's release have created a PR nightmare for Stability AI.
- ๐ Comfy and his team are moving forward to expand the Comfy ecosystem with a focus on democratizing AI tooling.
- ๐ They plan to work with the open-source community and build tools that are accessible to all, not just a select few.
- ๐ The team has released a manifesto emphasizing their commitment to open-source principles and community-driven development.
- ๐ผ They intend to monetize through consulting and enterprise support, similar to the Red Hat model, without hiding features behind paywalls.
- ๐ฎ Despite recent challenges, the team is optimistic about the future of open-source AI models and their role in democratizing AI.
Q & A
What is the main topic discussed in the transcript?
-The main topic discussed in the transcript is the departure of key employees, including Comfy and mcmonkey, from Stability AI and their plans to develop a new ecosystem called Comfy.
Why did Comfy resign from Stability AI?
-Comfy resigned from Stability AI due to disagreements with the management's decision to release the 2B model instead of the 4B model, which he believes was safer and more promising.
What was the controversy surrounding the release of the 2B model?
-The controversy was that the 2B model was pushed for release by the management despite being considered a failed experiment by the research team that worked on it and was no longer employed by Stability AI.
What is the core mission of the new Comfy ecosystem?
-The core mission of the new Comfy ecosystem is to advance and democratize visual AI tooling by iterating and improving Comfy UI and working with open-source model builders and the community.
How does the transcript describe the role of mcmonkey in the new ecosystem?
-The transcript describes mcmonkey as a collaborator in the new ecosystem, working alongside Comfy and others from Stability AI and the Drip community.
What is the stance of the new Comfy ecosystem on open-source licensing?
-The new Comfy ecosystem is committed to keeping their tools open-source and not hiding features behind a paywall or restrictive licenses.
What are the future plans for the Comfy UI according to the transcript?
-The future plans for Comfy UI include continuing its development by a bigger team with more resources and expanding the Comfy ecosystem with a focus on democratization of AI tooling.
How does the transcript address the issue of monetization in open-source projects?
-The transcript acknowledges that there is no free lunch in open-source and that developers need revenue streams to sustain their work, suggesting models like consulting and enterprise support for monetization.
What is the significance of the 'democratization of AI tooling' mentioned in the transcript?
-The significance lies in the belief that AI models should be accessible to all users, not just a few cloud providers or those with access to closed-source tools, emphasizing the need for open and community-driven development.
What is the relationship between the departure of key employees and the future of Stability AI's models?
-The departure of key employees, such as Comfy and mcmonkey, may lead to a shift in the development and support of Stability AI's models, with the possibility of the community moving towards alternative models or platforms.
How does the transcript suggest the open-source AI community should approach the future?
-The transcript suggests that the open-source AI community should continue to fight for democratization, support each other, and work together to build and improve tools and models for the benefit of all.
Outlines
๐ Developer Exodus from Stability AI
The script discusses the departure of key employees from Stability AI, including the developer of Comfy UI, who recently resigned. It delves into the internal issues surrounding the release of the Stable Fusion 3 model, which was pushed by management despite being a beta and led to the departure of the research team responsible for it. The narrative highlights the controversy over licensing and the lack of official communication from Stability AI, suggesting a PR nightmare and urging for transparency and better management in the future.
๐ Comfy UI's Commitment to Democratizing AI Tools
This paragraph outlines Comfy UI's mission to democratize AI tooling by improving and iterating on their software, working closely with the open-source community. It introduces the concept of democratization not just in AI models but also in the tools that enable their use. The script mentions the importance of open-source software (OSS) in the visual AI space and the need for community efforts to build efficient OSS tooling. It also touches on the challenges of monetization in the open-source world and the necessity for developers to find sustainable revenue streams.
๐ Comfy's Future: Open Source and Community-Driven
The final paragraph focuses on Comfy's future plans to remain open source and community-driven, with no intention of paywalling features or introducing restrictive licenses. It discusses potential revenue models, such as consulting and enterprise support, drawing parallels with successful companies like Red Hat. The script also emphasizes the importance of transparency, communication, and the core principles guiding Comfy's development. It concludes with a nod to the potential for advancements in OSS AI models and the team's dedication to bringing the best models to Comfy UI.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กComfy
๐กStability AI
๐กStable Fusion 3
๐กComfy UI
๐กOpen Source
๐กAI Democratization
๐กLicensing
๐กCommunity-Driven
๐กMCM Monkey
๐กManifesto
๐กOSS Models
Highlights
Comfy, the developer of Comfy UI, has resigned from Stability AI.
The team behind Stability Fusion 3 2B, including MC Monkey, has left the company.
Comfy's departure prompts questions about the future of the stable Fusion 3 model.
The 2B model was developed by a research team no longer employed by Stability AI.
Management pushed for the release of the 2B model over the 4B and 8B, despite internal concerns.
Comfy was working on a T5 only 4B model, which would have been safer without image data issues.
The 2B model's release has been described as a failed experiment by some researchers.
Stability AI has not provided their side of the story, leading to speculation and uncertainty.
Comfy reassures that Comfy UI will continue to be developed by a larger team with more resources.
Comfy and MC Monkey plan to expand the Comfy ecosystem with a focus on democratizing AI tooling.
Their mission is to advance and democratize visual AI tooling through community efforts and open-source collaboration.
Comfy's team includes former Stability AI employees and contributors to the Comfy UI ecosystem.
The team aims to create an open-source environment for AI without paywalls or restrictive licenses.
Comfy's future plans include working closely with open-source model builders to enhance Comfy UI.
The team's core principles include transparency, communication, and community-driven development.
Comfy.org will support the Comfy UI ecosystem and work towards democratizing AI for everyone.
The team acknowledges the challenges of monetizing open-source projects while maintaining development.
Comfy's approach is inspired by successful open-source business models like Red Hat.