NEW COMFY ECOSYSTEM! Comfy & mcmonkey QUITS Stability.

Sebastian Kamph
18 Jun 202413:04

TLDRComfy, the developer of Comfy UI, and mcmonkey, a collaborator on stable swarm, have resigned from Stability AI. This departure follows the release of the controversial stable Fusion 3 model, which was pushed by management despite internal reservations. Comfy and mcmonkey plan to advance open-source AI tooling, focusing on democratization and community-driven development with a new ecosystem, promising no paywalls or restrictive licenses.

Takeaways

  • 😀 Comfy, the developer of Comfy UI, has resigned from Stability AI.
  • 🔄 Several employees, including MCM Monkey, have left Stability AI, affecting the development of the stable Fusion 3 model.
  • 💬 Comfy expressed his departure and concerns about the stable Fusion 3 model on Discord and Reddit.
  • 🔍 The 2B model was developed by a research team no longer employed by Stability AI, and its release was pushed by management despite being a beta.
  • 🚫 Comfy was working on a T5 only 4B model, which he believed to be safer and without the issues of the 2B model.
  • 🤔 There is a lack of official communication from Stability AI, which is seen as a failure in handling the situation.
  • 🛠 Comfy and his team aim to advance and democratize visual AI tooling through the development of Comfy UI.
  • 🌐 The team behind Comfy plans to work with the open-source community to build tools for all users, focusing on democratization of AI.
  • 📜 They have a manifesto that emphasizes the importance of open-source AI tooling and the need for community effort in its advancement.
  • 💼 Comfy's team will not hide source features behind a paywall or license, ensuring the open-source nature of their work.
  • 🔗 The team is planning to monetize through consulting and enterprise support, similar to models used by companies like Red Hat.
  • 🔮 Despite recent challenges, the team is committed to bringing the best open-source AI models to Comfy UI and is working closely with model builders.

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 create a new ecosystem for AI tooling.

  • Why did Comfy resign from Stability AI?

    -Comfy resigned from Stability AI due to disagreements over the direction of the company, particularly regarding the release of the 2B model and the lack of transparency in licensing.

  • What is the controversy surrounding the release of the 2B model?

    -The 2B model was pushed for release by management despite being considered a failed experiment by the research team. This has led to issues and dissatisfaction among the community.

  • What is the role of mcmonkey in the situation?

    -Mcmmonkey, who was working on the stable swarm, is also leaving Stability AI and will be working with Comfy on the new ecosystem.

  • What is the 'Comfy Ecosystem' that Comfy plans to develop?

    -The Comfy Ecosystem is a new initiative aimed at democratizing AI tooling, working with open-source model builders, and improving the Comfy UI with a focus on transparency and community involvement.

  • What is the significance of the term 'democratization of AI' mentioned in the transcript?

    -The term 'democratization of AI' refers to the goal of making AI tools and models accessible to a wider range of users, not just a select few, by improving and iterating on open-source AI tooling.

  • What is the business model that Comfy plans to adopt for the new ecosystem?

    -Comfy plans to make money through consulting and enterprise support, similar to the model used by Red Hat, and they will not hide source features behind a paywall or license.

  • How does the departure of these employees affect the future of Stability AI?

    -The departure of key employees could potentially impact the development and community trust in Stability AI, as well as the future direction of their AI models and tools.

  • What are the core principles that the new Comfy Ecosystem aims to uphold?

    -The core principles of the new Comfy Ecosystem include transparency, communication, open-source development, community-driven initiatives, and the democratization of AI.

  • What is the position of the current CEO of Stability AI in this situation?

    -The transcript does not provide a detailed position of the current CEO, but it mentions that the CEO is a researcher and that Comfy does not see the situation as their problem since they no longer work at Stability AI.

  • How does the transcript suggest the open-source community should approach the development and monetization of AI tools?

    -The transcript suggests that the open-source community should recognize the need for revenue streams to support developers, while also striving to keep AI tools accessible and not behind paywalls.

Outlines

00:00

😔 Departure and Controversy at Stability AI

The video script discusses the departure of 'Comfy', a key developer from Stability AI, and the subsequent fallout. Comfy's resignation was prompted by internal disagreements over the release of the 'Stable Fusion 3' model, specifically the 2B variant, which was pushed by management despite being considered a failed experiment by the research team. This has led to a licensing mess and a PR nightmare for Stability AI. The script also mentions the departure of other team members and the lack of official communication from Stability AI, suggesting a failure to address the situation adequately.

05:01

🌟 Comfy's New Mission: Democratizing AI Tooling

Following his departure, Comfy is set to work on expanding the Comfy ecosystem with a new team, including former Stability AI employees and collaborators from 'drip'. The mission is to democratize AI tooling, focusing on open-source software (OSS) models and community-driven development. The script outlines a manifesto for advancing visual AI tooling and emphasizes the importance of supporting the community and maintaining open-source principles. It also touches on the challenges of monetizing open-source projects and the need for alternative revenue streams to support developers.

10:03

🚀 Comfy's Future Plans and Core Principles

The script reveals Comfy's intention to create an open-source platform that will not be paywalled or restricted by proprietary licenses. The plan is to generate revenue through consulting and enterprise support, similar to the model used by Red Hat. Comfy aims to bring the best OSS AI models to their UI and will continue to be transparent and community-driven. The core principles outlined include transparency, communication, open-source commitment, and democratizing AI. The script ends on a light-hearted note, suggesting that the future holds exciting developments for the AI community.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Comfy

Comfy refers to the developer of Comfy UI, who is a central figure in the video's narrative. He recently resigned from Stability AI, which is a significant event in the AI community. Comfy's departure signifies a shift in the ecosystem and his future plans to expand the Comfy ecosystem are closely watched by the community.

💡Stability AI

Stability AI is the company from which Comfy and other key team members have resigned. It is mentioned as the organization behind the controversial Stable Fusion 3 model. The company's management decisions and licensing issues are highlighted as points of contention within the video.

💡Stable Fusion 3

Stable Fusion 3 is a model developed by Stability AI that has been released despite internal disagreements and is portrayed as having potential but also significant issues. It represents a failed experiment by a research team no longer employed by Stability AI and was pushed for release by the company's management.

💡2B model

The 2B model is a variant of Stable Fusion 3 that was released as a beta but faced criticism and was considered a failed experiment by the research team that worked on it. The script mentions that there was a strong push from the company to release this model, despite better alternatives being available.

💡4B model

The 4B model is mentioned as an alternative to the 2B model that Comfy was working on. It is suggested to be a safer option that wouldn't have broken everything because it doesn't know any image data and could only generate images from filtered training data.

💡Open Source

Open Source is a recurring theme in the video, emphasizing the importance of making AI tools and models accessible to all. The script discusses the challenges and the necessity of democratizing AI tooling, hinting at the need for community involvement and support for open-source projects.

💡Democratization of AI

The concept of democratizing AI is central to the video's message. It refers to making AI technology and its benefits available to a broader audience rather than being limited to a few. The script mentions the mission to advance and democratize visual AI tooling, indicating a move towards more inclusive and accessible AI solutions.

💡Comfy Ecosystem

The Comfy Ecosystem is the environment that Comfy and his team aim to expand and improve. It is built around the Comfy UI and is intended to support open-source AI tools and models, fostering a community-driven approach to AI development.

💡OSS Models

OSS Models, or Open Source Software models, are AI models that are freely available for use, modification, and distribution. The script emphasizes the importance of these models in advancing AI technology and the need for tooling that enables their utilization by a wider range of users.

💡Community-driven

Community-driven development is a key principle mentioned in the script, highlighting the collaborative effort of the AI community in creating and improving tools and models. It underscores the importance of collective input and shared goals in the advancement of AI technology.

💡Enterprise Support

Enterprise Support is one of the monetization strategies mentioned for the Comfy Ecosystem. It suggests that the team plans to offer consulting and support services to businesses, which is a common way for open-source projects to generate revenue while maintaining their open-source commitment.

Highlights

Comfy, the developer of Comfy UI, has resigned from Stability AI.

The team behind the recently released Stable Fusion 3 model has left the company.

mcmonkey, who was working with Stable Swarm, is also leaving Stability AI.

Comfy discusses the different weights of the Stable Fusion 3 model variants on Discord.

The 2B model was worked on by a research team no longer employed by Stability AI.

Comfy was working on a T5 only 4B model, which would have been safer without image data.

The 2B model was pushed for release by management despite being a beta model.

Comfy believes the Stable Fusion 3 model had promise but has been overshadowed by licensing issues.

Stability AI has not provided their side of the story, which Comfy sees as a failure.

Comfy hopes Stability AI will address licensing issues and continue to improve their models.

Comfy is reassured that Comfy UI will continue to be developed by a bigger team with more resources.

Comfy and mcmonkey plan to work on expanding the Comfy ecosystem with a focus on democratization of AI tooling.

Their mission is to advance and democratize visual AI tooling by iterating and improving Comfy UI.

Comfy and the team will work with open-source model builders and organize community efforts for tooling.

The team includes familiar faces from Stability AI and contributors to Comfy UI.

Comfy's business model will not include paywalls or restrictive licenses, focusing on consulting and enterprise support.

Comfy is committed to remaining open source and not hiding features behind a paywall.

The team is working closely with open-source model builders to bring the best models to Comfy UI.

Comfy's core principles include transparency, communication, open-source, community-driven efforts, and democratizing AI.

Comfy believes there is no free lunch in the world of open source, and democratization won't happen on its own.

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