AI technology has been both fascinating and frightening since its inception. AI image generation technology allows machine learning to modify and even replace faces in photos and videos.
Face-swapping videos have been sweeping the Internet in the past few days, with many celebrities’ faces embedded in the videos. Recently, Deep Nostalgia, an AI tool that can animate still photos, has been around again, and is now a major use on Twitter.
AI creates dynamic effects for still photos
The Deep Nostalgia service provided by MyHeritage uses D-ID-licensed AI to create the effect of moving still photos. It’s a bit like the iOS Live Photos feature, which adds a few seconds of video to help select the best Photos.
The program uses a pre-recorded video of a face, combined with the most appropriate still photo to produce a video. Its intended purpose is to allow users to upload photos of deceased relatives, giving them the chance to see them in action again.
Users must sign up for a free account on MyHeritage and then upload photos. The site enhances the image before animating it and creating a GIF.
The program has become a new tool on Twitter that integrates AI into users’ daily use. An archaeologist has uploaded pictures of ancient statues, but the moving images look a bit weird.
Deep Nostalgia only makes the “face” move
Deep Nostalgia currently only works with single photos and can only “move” faces. Therefore, the dynamic restoration of body movements such as walking and raising hands cannot be realized.
Right now, MyHeritage allows users to upload five free photos. After that, however, you must create a paying user to continue using Deep Nostalgia.
In the age of the Internet, we should be very careful when uploading any personal information online, and privacy considerations still need to be taken seriously. But if you want to experiment with this new technology, or remember loved ones, AI can be a great experience.
Fake Tom Cruise hits TikTok
A few days ago, the last fake Tom Cruise on TikTok went viral. His Deepfake video of Tom Cruise gained a lot of attention, with more than 200,000 followers after he uploaded only three videos.
The term Deepfakes originated in late 2017 when users from Reddit teamed up with others in the community to create Deepfake, which attracted a lot of attention by replacing faces in many videos with stars.
In the video, Deeptom Cruise and Tom Cruise are so seamlessly integrated that it’s hard to tell the difference in voice or mannered manner. The fake Tom Cruise also appeared in several scenes, such as “Tom Cruise playing golf”.
The application of AI image generation is not limited to faces
Deep Nostalgia and Deepfake are primarily related to computer vision, a subfield of computer science. It uses machine learning techniques to make connections between the sound produced by a video object and the shape of the object’s face, superimposing detailed information about the target on the underlying facial and body features of the original video.
In 2019, a Chinese APP called Zao, which allows users to superimpose their faces on TV and movie clips using a single image, took the Internet by storm overnight.
Advances in AI technology raise concerns
While not everyone who uses AI technology has bad intentions, just use it to make funny videos online. But there are still big risks. A good example is Deeptom Cruise, whose fake Tom Cruise video got a lot of attention on TikTok, where many people first thought it was Tom Cruise himself.
AI image generation technology has advanced to such an extent that there have been calls for the government to take action to protect people and prevent some videos from being used for illegal purposes.
These are now being used on popular social media platforms, and if they are not well regulated, it could be enough to influence public opinion and even be used by criminals.
