Discord Inc. has unveiled a host of AI-driven plans to enhance its chat platform, including utilizing OpenAI’s technology to power its chatbot and moderation systems.
Discord has been at the forefront of AI for a while, with third-party AI apps already on the platform having more than 30 million monthly users. There are nearly 3 million servers on Discord with some AI element integrated into the community, and the biggest one is Midjourney, a text-to-image AI project with 13 million members.
With AI being so popular on Discord, it’s no surprise that the platform is now integrating AI directly into the platform. The company shared some exciting news about AI on Discord, including
- Three free public experiments: Clyde, AutoMod AI, and Conversation Summaries
- Two sneak previews of future explorations: Avatar Remix and a whiteboard with AI prototype
- The launch of a new AI Incubator to fund innovative AI startups
Clyde
Starting next week, Clyde is coming to life using OpenAI technology and will be natively available within Discord. You can now chat with Clyde in any channel by simply typing @Clyde. Here are some of the amazing things Clyde can do:
- Answer questions and have extended conversations.
- Start a thread for a group of friends to hang out.
- Recommend playlists.
- Access GIFs and emojis like any Discord user.
Clyde is Discord’s AI-driven friend to help you hang out, with a privacy-first and optional-only approach. Powered by OpenAI technology, Clyde can only use and store information following the Privacy Policy and does not record, store or use any audio or video call data from users. Discord is committed to testing and iterating, so Clyde becomes an integral part of the Discord experience soon.
AutoMod AI
Discord’s AutoMod AI is taking moderation to the next level. It’s been blocking over 45 million messages since it was introduced last year, and now it’s using OpenAI technology to detect rule-breaking conversations with context in mind. The experiment is starting in selected servers today.
Conversation Summaries
Discord is introducing AI-generated Conversation Summaries to help you quickly catch up or join in. It’s easy to enable this feature in Server Settings, and it’s starting next week in a limited number of servers. Plus, the team is working on even more creative ways AI can be used on Discord.
Avatar Remix
With Avatar Remix, you and your friends can remix each other’s avatars with the help of generative image models. Starting today, developers can find the Avatar Remix code on Github and extend it to create entirely new experiences.
Just remember to follow our Developer Terms of Service and Developer Policy if you use the code to build or operate any apps on Discord. To get inspired, check out the bot Replicate developed within the community using the open source code.
Whiteboard with AI Preview
Create and collaborate with friends and colleagues in a shared visual space with Whiteboard with AI Preview! Experiment with a text-to-image generator that is powered by AI.
Discord AI Incubator
Last fall, Discord announced a $5 million commitment to fund strategic partners, developers, and early stage start-ups. Now, as part of the fund, Discord has launched an AI incubator dedicated to developers wanting to build AI on Discord.
Developers can visit discbuild to learn more about the Ecosystem Fund and submit an application to be considered for a grant. In addition to cash grants, participants will also be eligible for:
- Office hours with Discord development teams
- Cloud compute credits for building and prototyping services
- Early access to Discord platform features
Availability
Discord is rolling out exciting new features, starting March 9,2023. Some will be available immediately, while others will be tested on select servers and available in coming weeks and months.
Announcing the updates, Anjney Midha, Vice President, Platform Ecosystems at Discord, said,
We’re excited about the opportunities for AI to enhance so many facets of human experience, and we can’t wait to see what teams around the world come up with over the years to come!