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AI Images Under a Second: New Models Shatter Speed Records
17 Jan
Summary
- Black Forest Labs released FLUX.2 [klein] AI models for rapid image generation.
- The 4B model is available under a permissive Apache 2.0 license for commercial use.
- Models generate images in under a second on consumer hardware with low VRAM needs.
Black Forest Labs, a German AI startup founded by former Stability AI engineers, has released FLUX.2 [klein], a pair of efficient AI image generation models emphasizing speed and reduced compute needs. These models can generate images in less than a second, even on consumer-grade GPUs. The 4 billion parameter version is available under an Apache 2.0 license, allowing for unrestricted commercial use without licensing fees.
The [klein] series, which includes 4B and 9B parameter counts, is designed for consumer hardware and latency-sensitive applications. BFL achieved this speed through model distillation, enabling image generation in just four steps. The architecture unifies text-to-image generation and editing capabilities, supporting features like multi-reference editing and precise hex-code color control.
This release marks a significant advancement for enterprise AI decision-makers, balancing speed and quality for rapid deployment and cost-effective local inference. The availability of capable, locally runnable open-weight models also enhances data security by keeping proprietary information within corporate firewalls.
