AI Horde: a free, volunteer crowdsourced computing power AI image and text generation tool

AI Horde is a free, open-source crowdsourced distributed computing platform run by the volunteer organization Haidra. It aggregates unused computing power contributed by volunteers around the world to provide users with free image and text generation services. The core idea of this project is to make AI generation technology accessible to everyone, whether they own expensive specialized hardware or not. Users can submit requests through a variety of client and API interfaces, and the platform will intelligently assign them to online volunteer "workers" for processing. In return, volunteers who contribute arithmetic power are awarded points called "Kudos", which can be used to prioritize their requests when the network is busy.

Function List

• Image Generation: Supports the use of various AI models such as Stable Diffusion to generate images from textual cue words.
• Text Generation: Support for connecting multiple Large Language Models (LLMs) for chat conversations, story creation, and AI-assisted writing.
• crowdsourcing network: Anyone with a compatible GPU can join the network as a "worker", contributing power and earning Kudos points.
• Kudos Points System: An internal "currency" used to prioritize the generation of requests. Contributing power earns Kudos, and submitting requests consumes Kudos; users with more Kudos can get results faster when the network is busy.
• Rich Client Support: Supports web-based, desktop (e.g. SillyTavern, KoboldAI Client), mobile apps and plug-ins for many mainstream software (e.g. Photoshop, GIMP, Krita, Blender, etc.).
• Open API: A REST API interface is provided to make it easy for developers to integrate AI Horde's generative capabilities into their own applications, games, or bots.
• Anonymous use option: Users do not need to register and can access anonymously with a generic API key, but have lower priority. Registered users enjoy higher priority and functionality.

Using Help

AI Horde basically works by connecting two groups of people: users who need AI computing power (requesters) and volunteers who are willing to share their hardware's arithmetic (workers).

As a regular user (requester)

If you just want to generate images or chat with AI for free, the process is very simple.

1. Registering for an account (optional but recommended)

• Visit the official website https://aihorde.net/The
• Click "Register an account" to register an account, the system will generate a unique API Key for you. Please make sure to keep this key safe, it is equivalent to your account credentials.
• The benefit of signing up is having separate Kudos points for faster processing of your requests.
• If you don't want to register, you can also use an anonymous API key 0000000000(10 zeros), but your request priority will be the lowest.

2. Select a client
AI Horde itself does not provide a direct generation interface, but is used through various third-party client software. The home page of the official website recommends many popular clients.

• Web-based (most convenient)::
  • Artbot: A full-featured web image generation tool.
  • HordeNG: The interface is simple and suitable for novices, while advanced options are also available.
  • KoboldAI Lite: Web client focused on text generation and AI roleplaying.
• Desktop (more powerful)::
  • SillyTavern: A very popular desktop client, primarily for AI character chat, with deep integration of AI Horde's text and image generation capabilities.
  • KoboldAI Client: A powerful AI-assisted writing tool.
• software plug-in::
  • If you use creative software such as GIMP, Krita, Photoshop or Blender, you can install the corresponding AI Horde plug-in and call the AI generation function directly from within the software.

3. Configure and use in the client

• Open the client of your choice and find the configuration item for AI Horde or Stable Horde in the Settings or API options.
• Fill in your API key in the appropriate place.
• Select the AI model you want to use (either a picture model or a language model).
• Now you can start typing prompts to generate images or chat with the AI. Your request will be sent to the AI Horde network, where an available volunteer "worker" will process it and return the results.

As a volunteer (worker)

If you have a computer with a decent GPU and want to contribute arithmetic to earn Kudos points, you can become a "worker".

1. Preparatory work

• register an account: To become a worker you must have a registered account and an API key, as the system needs it to issue you Kudos points.
• hardware requirement: An NVIDIA or AMD graphics card with at least 6GB of video memory (VRAM) is usually required. The more memory you have, the more powerful the model you can process.

2. Download and configure worker software

• Picture Generation Workers::
  • Go to GitHub to download the official worker software horde-worker-reGenThe
  • Configure it according to the guidelines in the official documentation. The key step is to add the configuration file bridgeData.yaml Fill in your API key and a unique name for your worker.
  • In the configuration file, you can also set which models are allowed to be loaded, the cache size, and other parameters.
• Text Generation Workers::
  • For text generation, the easiest way is to use the KoboldcppThe
  • downloading Koboldcpp.exe Documentation.
  • Download a language model in GGUF format supported by AI Horde.
  • activate (a plan) Koboldcpp, load the model in the interface and fill in your API key and worker name in the AI Horde settings.

3. Activation and monitoring

• After running the worker software, it automatically connects to the AI Horde network and starts receiving generated tasks from other users.
• You can see the task processing and the number of Kudos you've earned in the software's command line window or in the log.

Kudos Points System Explained

Kudos is the core incentive of the AI Horde ecosystem.

• How to earn Kudos?
  • Main modalities: Run a worker side that handles generating requests for others. The more complex the task completed, the more Kudos you get.
  • Other modalities: Rate generated images in the client, subscribe to the official Patreon, participate in community events, and more.
• How to consume Kudos?
  • Each generation request you submit consumes a certain number of Kudos.
  • Consumption is determined by the complexity of the request, e.g., image size, number of steps, model size, etc.
• Kudos for that?
  • It determines the priority of your request in the queue. When the network is busy and a large number of users are submitting requests at the same time, the more users who have Kudos, the faster their requests will be processed.

application scenario

1. General AI enthusiasts
   For those who don't have a powerful GPU but want to experience high-quality AI image and text generation, AI Horde offers a completely free platform that can be used through a simple web client.
2. Developers and programmers
   Developers can utilize the free APIs provided by AI Horde to integrate AI-generated functionality into their own apps, games, chatbots, or automation scripts without incurring the cost of running expensive servers and models.
3. Content creators and artists
   Creators using professional software such as Photoshop, Krita, Blender, etc. can seamlessly integrate AI Horde into their workflow by installing the plugin for generating material, finding inspiration, or aiding in creation.
4. hardware loiterer
   If your computer is idle at night or at work, you can run AI Horde's worker program to contribute to the community using idle GPU arithmetic while earning Kudos points to be able to quickly generate content when you need it.

QA

1. Is AI Horde completely free?
   Yes, AI Horde's core service is free for all users. It maintains operations through crowdsourced computing power from volunteers, not through fees.
2. Is my data safe? Will someone else see the content of my request if I use AI Horde?
   By default, your request is sent anonymously, and the "worker" processing the request cannot directly see who sent it. However, since the code is open source, a malicious "worker" could theoretically modify the code to see what prompts they are processing. For this reason, it is officially recommended that you do not send any personal or sensitive information in your requests. You can choose to use only Trusted Workers, who are volunteers who have contributed to the community for a long time and are in good standing.
3. What is Kudos and do I have to own it to use the service?
   Kudos is a point system within the Platform that is used to prioritize requests. You are not required to have Kudos to use the service, and you can submit requests even if you don't have Kudos or are using an anonymous account. However, when the network is busy, your request will be prioritized after users with more Kudos, and the wait time may be long.
4. How can I get my request processed faster?
   The most efficient way to earn Kudos is to contribute your own arithmetic power as a "worker". The more Kudos you have, the higher the priority of your requests in the queue and the faster they are processed.