In today's creative industry, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a crucial tool. Many can generate stories, images, or short videos with AI models simply by inputting a few sentences. However, Weber Wong, founder and CEO of Flora, points out that most existing AI tools are "designed by non-creatives for non-creatives," failing to truly meet the needs of professional creative individuals.
Flora recently launched officially, releasing a manifesto emphasizing that "AI creative tools are more than just toys for generating AI junk." Wong and his team are determined to build a "powerful tool" that profoundly changes the future of creative work. This manifesto distinguishes Flora from existing AI tools, which, while convenient for creation, lack creative control, while traditional creative software often feels complex and time-consuming.
Flora isn't about developing better generative AI models; instead, it provides an "infinite canvas" integrating existing models. Wong emphasizes, "The model doesn't matter, the technology doesn't matter; the user interface is key." Users can generate blocks of text, images, and videos on this canvas, creating a visualized creative process.
For example, a user could request Flora to generate an image of a flower, then gradually refine it, ultimately creating multiple variations. These processes and variations are visually displayed on the canvas, facilitating collaboration with clients.
Flora's initial target is visual design companies, currently iterating the product with designers from the renowned design firm Pentagram. Wong hopes that using Flora will enable designers to "accomplish 100 times more creative work," such as rapidly generating 100 different logo designs.
Wong himself has a background in art and technology. After working at the venture capital firm Menlo Ventures, he decided to dedicate himself to the creative field. Flora launched an Alpha version in August of this year, allowing users to sign up for a waitlist to use AI for real-time video stylization.
Regarding the skepticism some artists and professionals have toward AI, Wong states that Flora aims to attract users who are "curious about AI" and encourage even AI opponents to try it. He emphasizes that Flora doesn't train its own AI models but uses models from other companies and will adhere to societal standards.
Flora offers a free version and a professional version priced at $16 per month. While funding details haven't been disclosed, Flora's investors include A16Z Games Speedrun and Menlo Ventures.
