“Through the looking glass”: technology behind text to image generators Part 2


Purpose
By involving themselves in this emerging technology, libraries can directly impact their patrons for good and demonstrate their relevance to a world where text and images are increasingly interchangeable.


Design/methodology/approach
This column will provide an overview of how Midjourney, DALL·E, Stable Diffusion and Google fund their text-to-image generation and the incentives those models create.


Findings
The ability to easily generate complex images from text creates marketing and information literacy opportunities for libraries, as well as raising issues of stewardship and disinformation.


Originality/value
By understanding how Midjourney, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion and Google fund their text-to-image generation and the incentives created by their operation, libraries will be better positioned to imagine their role in meeting the challenges created by this technology.
