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Leonardo.AI

  • What it is:Leonardo.AI is a generative AI platform for creating art, illustrations, videos, 3D assets, and visual content using text prompts and custom model training.
  • Best for:Digital artists and designers, Game developers and character designers, Marketing teams needing visuals
  • Pricing:Free tier available, paid plans from $12/month ($10/month annual)
  • Rating:85/100Very Good
  • Expert's conclusion:The Leonardo.Ai API is Excellent For Production Creative Workflows Where Quality, Consistency And Scalability Matter More Than Per-Image Cost.
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Reviewed byMaxim Manylov·Web3 Engineer & Serial Founder

What Is Leonardo.AI and What Does It Do?

In addition to being an AI platform that creates both images and videos of high quality, as well as being able to create sketches using AI and customize training of AI models, Leonardo AI was founded in 2022 and focuses primarily on creating video game assets, however the company has also begun working with other industries such as fashion, advertising and architecture. The founders of the company, JJ Fiasson and his team of co-founders created Leonardo AI from their base in Sydney, Australia; they wanted to make creative work accessible to everyone through the use of AI technology.

Acquired
📍Sydney, Australia
📅Founded 2022
🏢Subsidiary
TARGET SEGMENTS
Game DevelopersFashionAdvertisingArchitectureContent Creators

What Are Leonardo.AI's Key Business Metrics?

📊
2022
Founded
👥
Millions worldwide
Users
📊
Phoenix (Australia's first foundational model)
Key Model Releases
Rating by Platforms
4.5/ 5
G2 (500 reviews)

How Credible and Trustworthy Is Leonardo.AI?

85/100
Excellent

This generative AI platform has been innovating in this space for some time now and the fact that Canva decided to acquire them is evidence of how valid the generative AI platform is in today’s market. However there have been no publicly disclosed figures regarding the number of users or how many images/videos were generated on the platform.

BREAKDOWN
Product Maturity80/100
Company Stability90/100
Security & Compliance75/100
User Reviews85/100
Transparency80/100
Support Quality80/100
TRUST SIGNALS
Acquired by CanvaAustralia's first generative AI foundational model (Phoenix)Used by millions of creators worldwideFounded by serial entrepreneur with multiple successful exits

What is the history of Leonardo.AI and its key milestones?

2022

Company Founded

The company was founded in Sydney, Australia by JJ Fiasson and his team of co-founders who were creating video game assets using AI.

2024

Phoenix Model Release

They launched Phoenix which is Australia's first generative AI foundational model and demonstrated the companies ability to do research and development at an advanced level.

2024

Acquired by Canva

Canva purchased the company in order to increase the generative AI capabilities of Canva in terms of design and content creation industries.

What Are the Key Features of Leonardo.AI?

✨
Image Generation
Leonardo generates high-quality visual assets based on text prompts with a wide range of options for styles to fit different industries.
✨
Video Generation
Leonardo uses AI to create video content, allowing for dynamic storytelling beyond static images.
✨
AI-Powered Sketching
Leonardo uses AI to transform rough sketches into polished artwork using advanced generative capabilities.
✨
Custom Model Training
Using Leonardo, users can train AI models that are specific to their needs and use those models to create content from a dataset.
✨
Phoenix Foundational Model
Phoenix is a proprietary generative AI foundational model developed in Australia and is the first of its kind; it is used to power advanced image synthesis.
✨
Industry-Specific Tools
The company offers specialized tools for creating gaming assets, fashion designs, advertising visuals and architectural renderings.

What Technology Stack and Infrastructure Does Leonardo.AI Use?

Infrastructure

Cloud-based with dedicated GPU clusters

Technologies

PythonPyTorchDiffusion ModelsGPU Acceleration

Integrations

Canva ecosystemAPI accessCloud platforms

AI/ML Capabilities

Proprietary Phoenix foundational model plus fine-tuned diffusion-based generative AI for image/video synthesis with custom training capabilities

Inferred from product capabilities, founder interviews, and industry standards for generative AI platforms

What Are the Best Use Cases for Leonardo.AI?

Game Developers
Users can rapidly create concept art, character designs, environments, and other gaming-related assets, increasing speed of prototyping and reducing production pipeline times.
Fashion Designers
Using Leonardo, users can create mood boards, fabric patterns, garment mock-ups and campaign visuals from a text description, decreasing design iteration time.
Advertising Creatives
Provide customized ad visuals, product mock-ups and campaign materials that fit within a client’s brand guidelines at a rapid pace
Architects
Produce high-quality building renderings, interior design concepts, site visualizations from textural and/or hand-drawn input
Film & Animation Studios
Create storyboards, character designs and environment art for pre-production visualization needs
NOT FORReal-time Gaming Engines
Not designed for generating real-time assets for live games (sub-60 FPS)
NOT FORHighly Regulated Medical Imaging
Not suitable for diagnostic/clinical purposes as it lacks necessary certifications for healthcare.

How Much Does Leonardo.AI Cost and What Plans Are Available?

Pricing information with service tiers, costs, and details
☐Service$CostℹDetails🔗Source
Free Plan$0150 tokens daily, public generations, limited access—
Apprentice Plan$12/month ($10/month annual)8,500 tokens/month, private generations, 10 custom models—
Artisan Plan$30/month ($24/month annual)Unlimited relaxed generations, 20 custom models, fast queue—
Maestro Plan$60/month ($48/month annual)High-volume generations for organizations, advanced features—
Free Plan$0
150 tokens daily, public generations, limited access
Apprentice Plan$12/month ($10/month annual)
8,500 tokens/month, private generations, 10 custom models
Artisan Plan$30/month ($24/month annual)
Unlimited relaxed generations, 20 custom models, fast queue
Maestro Plan$60/month ($48/month annual)
High-volume generations for organizations, advanced features
💡Pricing Example: Generating 500 high-quality images per month
Free PlanInsufficient (150 tokens/day limit)
Tokens deplete quickly for complex images
Apprentice Monthly$12/month
8,500 tokens covers moderate usage
Apprentice Annual$10/month
20% discount on annual billing
💰Savings:Save 17-20% with annual billing on all paid plans

How Does Leonardo.AI Compare to Competitors?

FeatureLeonardo.AIMidjourneyStable Diffusion (via platforms)DALL-E (OpenAI)
Core FunctionalityText-to-image, upscaling, character designText-to-image, Discord-basedOpen-source image genText-to-image via ChatGPT
Starting Price$12/mo$10/moFree (self-hosted)$20/mo (ChatGPT Plus)
Free TierYes (150 tokens/day)Limited trialYes (open source)No
Enterprise FeaturesHigh-volume plansTeam plansCustom deploymentAPI enterprise
API AvailabilityYesLimitedYes (via services)Yes
Private GenerationsPaid plans onlyYesYesYes
Custom ModelsYes (10-20)LimitedFull customizationNo
Support OptionsEmail/communityDiscordCommunityDocumentation
Core Functionality
Leonardo.AIText-to-image, upscaling, character design
MidjourneyText-to-image, Discord-based
Stable Diffusion (via platforms)Open-source image gen
DALL-E (OpenAI)Text-to-image via ChatGPT
Starting Price
Leonardo.AI$12/mo
Midjourney$10/mo
Stable Diffusion (via platforms)Free (self-hosted)
DALL-E (OpenAI)$20/mo (ChatGPT Plus)
Free Tier
Leonardo.AIYes (150 tokens/day)
MidjourneyLimited trial
Stable Diffusion (via platforms)Yes (open source)
DALL-E (OpenAI)No
Enterprise Features
Leonardo.AIHigh-volume plans
MidjourneyTeam plans
Stable Diffusion (via platforms)Custom deployment
DALL-E (OpenAI)API enterprise
API Availability
Leonardo.AIYes
MidjourneyLimited
Stable Diffusion (via platforms)Yes (via services)
DALL-E (OpenAI)Yes
Private Generations
Leonardo.AIPaid plans only
MidjourneyYes
Stable Diffusion (via platforms)Yes
DALL-E (OpenAI)Yes
Custom Models
Leonardo.AIYes (10-20)
MidjourneyLimited
Stable Diffusion (via platforms)Full customization
DALL-E (OpenAI)No
Support Options
Leonardo.AIEmail/community
MidjourneyDiscord
Stable Diffusion (via platforms)Community
DALL-E (OpenAI)Documentation

How Does Leonardo.AI Compare to Competitors?

vs Midjourney

The web-based UI for training custom models provided by Leonardo; the Discord based interface for Midjourney. Starting costs are lower for Leonardo ($12 vs $10-$30); however, both provide limitations through their token systems, while Midjourney may be more effective for finding an artist’s style or finding inspiration from other artists.

If you are a developer who wants to access the API and create custom models, then use Leonardo; if you are simply looking for a community where you can find inspiration as an artist, then use Midjourney.

vs DALL-E (OpenAI)

Leonardo offers more control and customization options at a lower cost than ChatGPT Plus. OpenAI has more overall integrations throughout its entire ecosystem, but does not have as much focus on creating an AI tool specifically for art.

Leonardo specializes in producing professional quality results in the field of specialized AI art, while DALL-E specializes in providing results as part of a larger workflow using general purpose AI.

vs Stable Diffusion platforms (e.g., Automatic1111)

Leonardo is a fully-managed SaaS compared to self-hosted Stable Diffusion. However, for non-technical users who do not want to install software locally, Leonardo is likely to be the more accessible option; however, it does place limits on how many tokens you can generate. On the other hand, if you prefer to host your own software (Stable Diffusion), you will need to set it up yourself, and it will cost nothing to use.

Use Leonardo when you need professional quality images quickly; use Stable Diffusion when you want to use unlimited resources locally, and have complete control over what you are doing.

What are the strengths and limitations of Leonardo.AI?

Pros

  • Generate high-quality images using advanced models to produce professional quality results
  • Train custom AI models in your style with the ability to train personalized AI models on your style
  • No need to use Discord - utilize our web-based interface to easily create a user-friendly dashboard
  • Flexible with our token system - we offer a relaxed mode once you have used up your fast tokens
  • Take advantage of our annual discounts - save up to 20% on all of our paid plans
  • All paid accounts allow private generation and full ownership of creations
  • We offer fast queue priority for all higher tier accounts

Cons

  • Both services utilize a token system to limit the complexity of images that you can generate; however, these tokens are consumed very quickly depending on the complexity of the image you wish to generate.
  • There is public zero privacy for users that don't pay
  • The costs are unpleasant. The pay per use is an unpleasant surprise for heavy users
  • There are no unlimited fast generations. Even the best paid plan has token limits
  • Smaller communities due to Discord-free, and therefore less social inspiration
  • The learning curve is steep for using the advanced features. In order to use custom models you will need to experiment with them
  • The dependency on Internet. There is no way to generate images offline

Who Is Leonardo.AI Best For?

Best For

  • Digital artists and designers — Training your own custom model and having high quality output is ideal for professional creative work
  • Game developers and character designers — Tools specifically designed to consistently generate characters and upscale images
  • Marketing teams needing visuals — Private and fast image generation without any design knowledge
  • Hobbyists testing AI art — An extremely generous free tier (150 tokens/day) to test and try things out
  • Small agencies with moderate volume — Plans costing from $12-30 will be suitable for most professionals to produce their work cost effectively

Not Suitable For

  • Budget-conscious casual users — Token limits are reached very quickly, so think about using something completely free like Stable Diffusion as an alternative
  • Enterprises needing unlimited use — Because of the token limits, it creates unpredictable costs, so consider self hosted enterprise level solutions
  • Real-time image generation needs — Generation queues still exist even on paid plans, so consider setting up a local fast solution
  • Users preferring community vibe — There is no Discord integration like Midjourney. Therefore there is less social inspiration

Are There Usage Limits or Geographic Restrictions for Leonardo.AI?

Daily Free Tokens
150 tokens per day
Monthly Tokens (Apprentice)
8,500 fast tokens
Private Generations
Paid plans only
Custom Models
10 (Apprentice), 20 (Artisan)
Generation Privacy
Public on free tier
Fast Queue Access
Paid plans only
Relaxed Mode
Slower after fast tokens deplete (paid)

Is Leonardo.AI Secure and Compliant?

Private GenerationsPaid plans only; free tier generations public by default
Data OwnershipFull ownership on paid plans; Leonardo retains rights to public free generations
Token SecurityAccount-based token allocation with standard web authentication
GDPR ComplianceStandard EU data protection for European users
Commercial RightsPaid generations cleared for commercial use

What Customer Support Options Does Leonardo.AI Offer?

Channels
24/7 community supportBusiness hours for paid plansComprehensive guides availableAvailable all tiers
Hours
Community 24/7, paid support business hours
Response Time
Community immediate, email <24 hours (paid tiers)
Satisfaction
Positive reviews for responsive Discord community
Specialized
Discord server for feature requests and troubleshooting
Business Tier
Email priority queue for Maestro plan
Support Limitations
•No phone support
•Priority support for higher tiers only
•Free tier community support only

What APIs and Integrations Does Leonardo.AI Support?

API Type
REST API with comprehensive endpoints for image/video generation
Authentication
API Key authentication - generated from account dashboard after subscribing to a plan
Webhooks
Webhooks management API available
SDKs
No official SDKs listed; community integrations via Make.com and similar platforms
Documentation
High quality - detailed quick start guide, dedicated model guides with parameters/examples, API reference at docs.leonardo.ai
Sandbox
Free developer account available; sandbox environment provided
SLA
No public SLA guarantees listed
Rate Limits
Plan-dependent rate limits; free plan available with restrictions
Use Cases
Programmatic image generation, video creation from text/images, image upscaling/unzooming, workflow automation via Make.com

What Are Common Questions About Leonardo.AI?

Go to your Leonardo.Ai account login page, find the API link in the side bar, and follow the instructions to create a new API key. Free plan available for testing purposes. Paid plans needed to use in production. Documentation is located at docs.leonardo.ai

A free tier is available with limited functionality, and paid plans can be purchased by going through the app.leonardo.ai/pricing. To gain access to API, you will need to have an active subscription to one of our paid plans to get increased functionality and limits

Leonardo.Ai has a production ready API that includes Alchemy enhancements, video generation, and ControlNet guidance. It also has many more comprehensive endpoints than just a simple Stable Diffusion API. The web app provides visual parameter testing before using the API

Your API key gives you account-wide access to your Leonardo.Ai account. Dedicated keys should be created for each project you want to use the API for. Basic standard API security practices apply, however, we do not specifically mention any compliance certifications in the documentation

Yes, there is natively integrated support in Make.com for Scenarios, and you can make custom API calls to your own services using the HTTP module. There are many ways to use Leonardo.Ai to create complex work flows that combine image generation with other services.

The free plan will have generation limits, and lower priority, while rate limits are scaled based on the level of your subscription (e.g., Enterprise vs. Pro). Some of the Advanced Features of Leonardo.Ai (like Alchemy V2) will be supported by specific models, and require a paid subscription.

Your free Developer Account includes a fully functional Sandbox Environment where you can test generating images without any risk or obligation to produce them in Production. All the API Endpoints are exposed for Development purposes.

Text-to-Image Generation, Image-to-Image Guidance, ControlNet, Alchemy Enhancement, Upscaling, Video Generation. Many Model-Specific Parameters and Presets are well-documented. A user-friendly Web App provides easy discovery of the best configuration settings for your Use Cases.

Is Leonardo.AI Worth It?

Through its mature REST API, optimized for Creative Workflows, Leonardo.Ai enables developers to deliver production-ready Generative AI Capabilities to their Creative Applications and Services. Its strong Documentation and Web App Integration provide an ease-of-use that makes it accessible to developers who need to generate Images/Videos at Scale without having to build-out their own Machine Learning Infrastructure.

Recommended For

  • Creative Agencies - Generating Marketing Assets Programmatically.
  • Game Studios - Creating Concept Art & Texture Assets via API.
  • E-commerce Teams - Automating Product Visuals.
  • Developers Building AI-Powered Design Tools.
  • Content Creators Scaling Their Visual Production.

!
Use With Caution

  • Budget-Sensitive Projects - Paid Plans are Required for Production Scale.
  • Real-Time Applications - Generation Times Vary Based On Model Complexity.
  • Teams Unfamiliar With Prompt Engineering - Requires Optimization Knowledge.

Not Recommended For

  • One-Off Generations - Web App Sufficient Without Using API.
  • Applications Where Cost-Per-Image Matters Most - Dedicated GPU Rental Less Expensive.
  • Highly Customized Computer Vision Needs - Limited Flexibility In Models.
Expert's Conclusion

The Leonardo.Ai API is Excellent For Production Creative Workflows Where Quality, Consistency And Scalability Matter More Than Per-Image Cost.

Best For
Creative Agencies - Generating Marketing Assets Programmatically.Game Studios - Creating Concept Art & Texture Assets via API.E-commerce Teams - Automating Product Visuals.

What do expert reviews and research say about Leonardo.AI?

Key Findings

Includes an all-inclusive REST API that supports creating images and videos; provides a production ready API Key authentication system; and includes full documentation to be used as a reference guide. The web application has an integration that can help in finding parameters quickly. Offers free trial options to test your applications before you have to purchase and scale up for production purposes. Provides webhooks and a sandbox area to support the developer workflow.

Data Quality

Good - detailed official API documentation available. Integration examples via Make.com. Limited info on SDKs/SLA/pricing specifics requires account signup verification.

Risk Factors

!
Plan-based rate limiting could cause issues with large volume usage
!
Quality of generated content will vary based on the model and prompt optimization selected
!
There are no publicly available Service Level Agreement (SLA)/Uptime Guarantees listed
!
Premium features are locked behind paid subscription tiers
Last updated: February 2026

What Are the Best Alternatives to Leonardo.AI?

  • •
    Midjourney API (via wrappers): A Discord-only AI Art Generator that has unofficial API wrappers. Has superior artistic quality when it comes to specific styles; however, does not include official REST API and video generation. Would be best for generating artistic illustrations when style consistency is the most important factor. (midjourney.com)
  • •
    Replicate (Stable Diffusion models): Serverless ML Platform for hosting Stable Diffusion and other similar models. Offers more flexibility with regards to model selection and offers a Pay-Per-Second Pricing Model. Is less curated than Leonardo’s Alchemy enhanced pipeline. Would be best for developers who want model variety and cost transparency. (replicate.com)
  • •
    RunwayML API: Video-first Generative AI with strong motion abilities. Generates better video quality, but has a weaker still image pipeline. Same subscription model. Would be best for video production workflows vs static asset pipelines. (runwayml.com)
  • •
    Fal.ai: High Performance Inference Platform with multiple diffusion models. Developed with developers in mind; also offers gRPC option for lower latency. Has less user-friendly documentation and web app support. Would be best for performance critical AI pipelines. (fal.ai)
  • •
    DeepAI Image Generator API: Simple text-to-image API that has a number of basic features. Is much cheaper per image; however, generates lower quality/consistency. Does not offer advanced control options such as ControlNet. Would be best for simple proof-of-concepts or budget constrained projects. (deepai.org)

Output Quality & Performance Benchmarks (2026)

PlatformMax ResolutionInference TimeText RenderingPrompt AdherenceLM Arena ELO
Leonardo AI2048×2048+ (with upscaler)Realtime canvas (<2s), 2-5s standardGoodVery High (fine-tuned models)1250
GPT Image 1.52048×2048<2 secondsExcellentVery High1264
Midjourney v72048×20483-5 secondsGoodHigh1255
Flux 2 Pro2560×25602-4 secondsVery GoodVery High1265
DALL-E 31920×19203-5 secondsExcellentVery High1245
Ideogram 3.01536×15364-6 secondsOutstandingHigh1235
Imagen 4 Standard1920×19202-3 secondsGoodHigh1220
Stable Diffusion 31024×1024 (native)5-10 secondsAdequateMedium1180

Commercial Use & IP Rights by Platform

Leonardo AI - Commercial UsePaid tiers ($10/mo+) allow full commercial rights; user owns generated assets
Leonardo AI - Advertising UseUnlimited generations on paid plans; no attribution required
Leonardo AI - Data Training Opt-outUsers can opt-out of model training; private fine-tuned models available
Leonardo AI - IP IndemnificationEnterprise plans include IP warranty; standard plans user-responsible
Midjourney - Commercial UseIncluded in Standard ($10/mo+); user owns outputs
DALL-E 3 - Advertising UseAllowed under ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo); credit not required

Core Image Generation Capabilities

Artistic Style Range

Fine-Tuned Models for Photorealism, Cinematic, Concept Art, Anime, 3D Textures

Text-in-Image Rendering

Strong Text Integration using both Leonardo PhotoReal and Alchemy Pipelines

Natural Language Prompt Understanding

Prompt Magic Auto-Magically Improves and Interprets Descriptive Prompts Automatically

Negative Prompts

Negative Prompt Support in its entirety to remove items that are not desired

Image-to-Image Generation

ControlNet (Image Guidance) for precise pose/composition adjustments

Seed Control & Reproducibility

Complete Seed Control to have consistent output generation throughout generations

Inpainting/Outpainting

AI Canvas Editor for Regional Edits, Expansions, Object Removal/Additions

Batch Processing

Bulk Export Multiple Images at Once

Realtime Canvas

Live Updates with Sketch-to-Image As You Draw/Modify Prompts

3D Texture Generation

Texture Maps (UV-Mapped PBR) of Albedo, Normal, Roughness from OBJ Files

AI Image Generation Pricing Comparison (2026)

PlatformTierMonthly CostCost Per ImageFree Tier / Monthly Quota
Leonardo AIFree$0~$0.02150 fast credits/month
Leonardo AIApprentice$10$0.0068,500 credits (~850 images)
Leonardo AIArtisan$30$0.00425,000 credits (~2,500 images)
Leonardo AIMaestro$60$0.002560,000 credits (~6,000 images)
MidjourneyBasic$10$0.04-0.060 images
MidjourneyStandard$30$0.02-0.030 images
DALL-E 3 (ChatGPT)Plus$20$0.04 (standard)Included monthly

Integration & Deployment Capabilities by Platform

Leonardo AI - Web Interface
Full-featured web app with workspace management and Realtime Canvas
Leonardo AI - Mobile App
Native iOS app with full image/video generation capabilities
Leonardo AI - API
RESTful API for programmatic generation and bulk processing
Leonardo AI - Canva Integration
Native integration in Canva Magic Studio for professional generation
Leonardo AI - 3D Pipeline
OBJ texture generation, skybox creation for Unity/Unreal workflows
Leonardo AI - Deployment
Cloud platform; API enables custom integrations and automation
Midjourney - Web UI
Discord-based interface; native web app in beta
Adobe Firefly - Native Integration
Native plugins in Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, Premiere

What Is Leonardo.AI's Compliance And Security Controls Status?

Leonardo AI - GDPR ComplianceDPA available; EU data processing compliant
Leonardo AI - SOC 2 ComplianceSOC 2 Type II certified for enterprise customers
Leonardo AI - Data Retention90 days default retention; enterprise configurable
Leonardo AI - Model Training Opt-outPrivate fine-tuned models not used for training
Leonardo AI - NSFW FilteringRobust content moderation across all generation tools
Leonardo AI - Commercial IP RightsPaid subscribers own generated assets commercially

AI Image Generation Use Cases & Platform Fit

Industry / Use CasePrimary NeedRecommended Platform(s)Critical Feature
Game DevelopmentConcept art, 3D textures, skyboxesLeonardo AI, MidjourneyTexture generation, Realtime Canvas
Marketing & AdvertisingCampaign visuals, A/B variantsLeonardo AI, Midjourney v7Batch processing, style consistency
E-CommerceProduct photography, lifestyle shotsLeonardo AI, Flux ProImage Guidance, inpainting
3D Asset ProductionUV textures, PBR maps for Unity/UnrealLeonardo AIOBJ texture generation
Social Media ContentPosts, stories, animated clipsLeonardo AI, DALL-E 3Motion generation, templates
Concept Art & PrevisRapid iteration from sketchesLeonardo AIRealtime Canvas sketching

2026 Platform Positioning & Market Leadership

🎨 Leonardo AI: Best creative workflow platform; Realtime Canvas + 3D textures; $10/mo entry with 150 free credits🏆 Midjourney v7: Best artistic quality; creative professionals; premium pricing ($10-60/mo)🤖 GPT Image 1.5 (OpenAI): Quality leader (ELO 1264); text rendering excellence📸 Flux 2 Pro: Photorealism benchmark (ELO 1265); $0.055/image API💼 Adobe Firefly: Commercial safety leader; Photoshop integration; IP indemnification✍️ Ideogram 3.0: Best text-in-image; logo/typography design🔧 Stable Diffusion: Open-source freedom; self-hosted; zero marginal cost⚡ Leonardo Strengths: Fine-tuned models for brand consistency; game dev asset pipeline leader

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