The AI image generator Stable Diffusion has gained a substantial following, and now enthusiasts experimenting with this new technology have a dedicated platform to showcase their creations. Founded by Civitai, a startup playing on the word “Civitas” meaning community, this platform enables members to share their own AI image models based on Stable Diffusion and display the resulting AI photos for consumers to explore.
Civitai’s CEO, Justin Maier, conceived the idea after recognizing the need for a centralized space where individuals could share their models and others could easily access and replicate them. Initially inspired by his experience with Midjourney during a project at Microsoft, Maier appreciated the collaborative and creative aspects but found limitations in the credits-based plan. Discovering the open-source Stable Diffusion, he observed a growing community experimenting with various concepts, prompting him to establish Civitai as a dedicated online community for organizing and sharing these AI-generated models.
Civitai quickly became the go-to platform for model sharing, boasting 100,000 registered users by January 2023. Recognizing its potential, Maier officially founded Civitai, and within three months, it reached a million registered users, eventually growing to around 3 million with 12 to 13 million unique visitors each month.
Despite only around 10,000 unique creators uploading models monthly, this number has increased by approximately 25% since Civitai introduced the capability for users to train new models on the site, simplifying the initiation process. The platform’s success led to a $5.1 million funding round in June 2023, with Andreessen Horowitz leading.
Civitai allows users to upload a series of images representing a particular style and choose a base model, such as standard, anime, or realistic. After about an hour, the new model is ready for users to generate their own images. However, the platform faces challenges related to artists discovering their work used to train AI models. To address this, Civitai has implemented a process allowing artists to flag resources using their work, initiating negotiations for resolution.
Despite some challenges, Civitai envisions a market for legitimate AI work, including its use in movies, music videos, applications, and creative projects. In the short term, the company plans to create a consumer-facing mobile app as an extension of its main site. Looking ahead, Civitai aims to allow users to monetize their work, potentially connecting them with brands or enabling direct monetization, while currently offering free access to all content on the site. The startup also plans to expand into other modalities beyond AI image models in the future.
