OpenAI Discontinues Pioneering Text-To-Image AI Generator, DALL-E 2
Photo 283332930 © Andrii Lysenko | Dreamstime.com
Your first brush with generative artificial intelligence was probably DALL-E 2, OpenAI’s pioneering text-to-art tool. Since its announcement in 2022, the software has captured the public imagination and was the catalyst for many other similar models. It’s time to close another chapter, as the company has announced the winding down of DALL-E 2, which will no longer accept new users.
The decision comes as OpenAI shifts its focus to DALL-E 3, its next-generation image generation model promising significant improvements over its predecessor, and generating even more realistic and detailed images. It can also let you edit specific elements in artwork by coloring over those parts (a process called inpainting).
Visiting the DALL-E 2 platform today, you’ll be met with the message: “We are no longer allowing new users to DALL-E 2. DALL-E 3 has higher quality images, improved prompt adherence, and we've started rolling out image editing.” OpenAI goes on to add that DALL-E 3 is integrated in the ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Enterprise tiers—all of which use a version of the chatbot that can understand visual inputs—as well as the OpenAI API.
After 2 years, OpenAI is winding down groundbreaking AI image generator DALL-E 2
— Benj Edwards (@benjedwards) April 18, 2024
For a brief period of time in 2022, a group of early testers became friends who found elation, then controversy as the tech exploded around them
I wrote about it for Ars:https://t.co/VXmAMksAoR pic.twitter.com/kYLRuv1wJJ
And while the company hasn’t announced an official shutdown, it’s already removed the field for entering prompts. There is simply no way to get crafting with the tool as it needs text descriptions to churn out images.
As noted by PCMag, clicking on your profile picture will likely reveal zero credits, completely restricting new image generation for those who have never used the platform before.
DALL-E 2’s fading into the background marks a significant moment in generative AI art. Its capabilities helped to democratize access to image creation, even among those who aren’t used to working with a paintbrush.
[via PCMag and Ars Technica, images via various sources]
