CivitAI's Policies Stir Up A Hornet's Nest among Users
The Great CivitAI Uprising of '25
AI Art Platform, Civitai, Sparks Outrage Following Implementation of Ban on Erotic Content
It's a wild West showdown at CivitAI, as the platform's recent policy overhaul leaves users spitting mad and packing their bags. Here's the breakdown on why the community's got its knickers in a twist.
The Great Purge
CivitAI, once a free-for-all haven for AI-generated art, has pulled the reigns with a fresh set of content guidelines. The platform has deemed certain categories off-limits, including incest, self-harm, diaper, and a plethora of bodily functions.
Smack in the middle of all this, NSFW content creators find themselves losing a crucial revenue source - namely, those featuring real-life celebrities. Needless to say, the artists aren't exactly pleased about losing their ability to generate creations catering to their, er, more explicit tastes.
A Moderation Maelstrom
CivitAI's policy shift isn't exactly winning it any popularity contests. Complaints have flooded Reddit and X as users lament the sudden loss of their content and seek clearer explanations.
"Makes no sense," says Dario Hernandez, one of the 3.2 million users of the platform. "These characters don't exist, don't hurt anyone, and nobody should care about them."
The Buzz killed the (Financial) Buzz
A new moderation system, an increased focus on metadata, and tighter standards around CivitAI's virtual currency, Buzz, have left creators reeling. Gone are the days when they could easily churn out revenue from their questionable creations.
Some suspect these clampdowns are the result of external pressure, particularly from payment giants like Visa and Mastercard. Caught between keeping payment processors happy and appeasing a creative (albeit sometimes provocative) community, CivitAI seems to be in a tight spot.
Desperate Measures
With content on the line and creative freedom limited, users have taken matters into their own hands. Panic-downloading and archiving potentially endangered content has become a popular pastime, while others turn to local AI generation tools or torrenting to preserve their LoRAs - small but highly personalized models trained on specific concepts or styles.
Despite the necessity of complying with external demands, users can't help but feel betrayed. The fear is that even moderately racy content might be the next casualty of the compounding regulations and censorship.
The Road Ahead
CivitAI has yet to respond to Decrypt's request for comment, leaving the community in the dark about its plans for the future. In the face of mounting resistance, the platform will need to tread carefully to keep its users - and their precious LoRAs - in tow.
Edited by Josh Quittner and Sebastian Sinclair
Degen's Digest
The Great CivitAI Awakening
In this raucous rodeo of AI-generated art, CivitAI has found itself in the crosshairs of community outrage after introducing stringent new content guidelines. Here's the lowdown on what's got folks all worked up.
The Content Crackdown
CivitAI, once a hotbed of practically anything goes, has closed its gates on certain categories of content. Incest, self-harm, diaper, and a host of bodily functions are now off-limits. The move has left NSFW content creators fuming, as they perceive the censorship as unneccessary.
To add fuel to the fire, creators find themselves unable to monetize certain niche models, particularly those featuring real celebrities. Needless to say, the artists aren't exactly thrilled.
A messy Moderation Fiasco
CivitAI's policy shift isn't getting any love from the crowd. Complaints have filled the airwaves of Reddit and X, with users bemoaning the loss of their content and demanding clearer answers.
"Makes no sense," says Dario Hernandez, one of the 3.2 million platform users. "These characters don't exist, don't hurt anyone, and nobody should care about them."
The Money Mishap
A new moderation system, increased focus on metadata, and stricter regulations on CivitAI's virtual currency, Buzz, have creators feeling the squeeze. Gone are the days when easy revenue could be made from their more questionable creations.
The new rules are stirring doubts about CivitAI's motivations, with some suspecting external pressure from payment giants like Visa and Mastercard.
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures
In response to the uncertainty, users have taken matters into their own hands. Panic-downloading and archiving potentially endangered content has become a popular pastime, while others turn to local AI generation tools or torrenting to preserve their precious LoRAs.
Despite the necessity of complying with external demands, users can't help but feel betrayed by the seemingly endless stream of restrictions. The fear is that even moderately racy content might be the next casualty of the compounding regulations and censorship.
The Future Unfolds
CivitAI remains tight-lipped about its plans for the future, leaving the community on edge. With resistance mounting, the platform will need to tread carefully to keep users - and their precious LoRAs - in tow.
- Critics argue that CivitAI's new policies, which restrict certain categories of content, are unnecessary and excessive, especially for NSFW content creators who are losing a significant revenue source.
- The increased focus on moderation and metadata, along with tighter regulations on CivitAI's virtual currency called Buzz, have left creators struggling to generate income.
- As a result, users have taken matters into their own hands, panic-downloading and archiving potentially endangered content, utilizing local AI generation tools, or turning to torrenting to preserve their LoRAs – small but highly personalized models trained on specific concepts or styles.
- Complaints about the policy changes have flooded social-media platforms like Reddit and X, with users demanding clearer explanations and questioning CivitAI's motivations.
- Some believe that external pressure from payment giants like Visa and Mastercard may be driving these regulations, leaving CivitAI in a difficult position between maintaining relationships with payment processors and appealing to its creative (albeit sometimes provocative) community.
- In the heart of the decentralized web3 environment, CivitAI's latest moves have sparked debates about censorship, artistic freedom, and the role of technology in shaping the future of entertainment.
