InvokeAI/InvokeAI_Statement_of_Values.md

Invoke-AI is a community of software developers, researchers, and user interface experts who have come together on a voluntary basis to build software tools which support cutting edge AI text-to-image applications. This community is open to anyone who wishes to contribute to the effort and has the skill and time to do so.

Our Values

The InvokeAI team is a diverse community which includes individuals from various parts of the world and many walks of life. Despite our differences, we share a number of core values which we ask prospective contributors to understand and respect. We believe:

1. That Open Source Software is a positive force in the world. We create software that can be used, reused, and redistributed, without restrictions, under a straightforward Open Source license (MIT). We believe that Open Source benefits society as a whole by increasing the availability of high quality software to all.

2. That those who create software should receive proper attribution for their creative work. While we support the exchange and reuse of Open Source Software, we feel strongly that the original authors of a piece of code should receive credit for their contribution, and we endeavor to do so whenever possible.

3. That there is moral ambiguity surrounding AI-assisted art. We are aware of the moral and ethical issues surrounding the release of the Stable Diffusion model and similar products. We are aware that, due to the composition of their training sets, current AI-generated image models are biased against certain ethnic groups, cultural concepts of beauty, ethnic stereotypes, and gender roles.

   1. We recognize the potential for harm to these groups that these biases represent and trust that future AI models will take steps towards reducing or eliminating the biases noted above, respect and give due credit to the artists whose work is sourced, and call on developers and users to favor these models over the older ones as they become available.

4. We are deeply committed to ensuring that this technology benefits everyone, including artists. We see AI art not as a replacement for the artist, but rather as a tool to empower them. With that in mind, we are constantly debating how to build systems that put artists’ needs first: tools which can be readily integrated into an artist’s existing workflows and practices, enhancing their work and helping them to push it further. Every decision we take as a team, which includes several artists, aims to build towards that goal.

5. That artificial intelligence can be a force for good in the world, but must be used responsibly. Artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to improve society, in everything from cancer care, to customer service, to creative writing.

   1. While we do not believe that software should arbitrarily limit what users can do with it, we recognize that when used irresponsibly, AI has the potential to do much harm. Our Discord server is actively moderated in order to minimize the potential of harm from user-contributed images. In addition, we ask users of our software to refrain from using it in any way that would cause mental, emotional or physical harm to individuals and vulnerable populations including (but not limited to) women; minors; ethnic minorities; religious groups; members of LGBTQIA communities; and people with disabilities or impairments.

   2. Note that some of the image generation AI models which the Invoke-AI toolkit supports carry licensing agreements which impose restrictions on how the model is used. We ask that our users read and agree to these terms if they wish to make use of these models. These agreements are distinct from the MIT license which applies to the InvokeAI software and source code.

6. That mutual respect is key to a healthy software development community. Members of the InvokeAI community are expected to treat each other with respect, beneficence, and empathy. Each of us has a different background and a unique set of skills. We strive to help each other grow and gain new skills, and we apportion expectations in a way that balances the members' time, skillset, and interest area. Disputes are resolved by open and honest communication.

Signature

This document has been collectively crafted and approved by the current InvokeAI team members, as of 28 Nov 2022: lstein (Lincoln Stein), blessedcoolant, hipsterusername (Kent Keirsey), Kyle0654 (Kyle Schouviller), damian0815, mauwii (Matthias Wild), Netsvetaev (Artur Netsvetaev), psychedelicious, tildebyte, keturn, and ebr (Eugene Brodsky). Although individuals within the group may hold differing views on particular details and/or their implications, we are all in agreement about its fundamental statements, as well as their significance and importance to this project moving forward.