TikTok has announced TikTok AI Alive, a brand-new feature built into TikTok Stories that lets users transform their static photos into short, dynamic videos. This functionality feels similar to the image-to-video capabilities recently rolled out by Character.AI through its AvatarFX tool. Both services allow creators to upload a picture and use artificial intelligence to make that image move and animate.
With AI Alive, the core idea is making visual storytelling simpler and more "lively." Users start by picking a static photo from their Story Album through the TikTok Story Camera. Tapping the AI Alive icon prompts the feature to animate the image. The platform highlights how this allows creators to easily transform something like a peaceful sunset picture into a scene with gradually shifting sky colors or animate a group photo to give the sense of a living memory. It also mentioned that its goal is to empower people to become creators:
Creativity sparks inspiration, joy, and deeper connections for more than one billion people on TikTok, and we're passionate about building tools that empower anyone to tap into their creativity and become a creator on TikTok.
To prevent misuse, TikTok employs moderation technology to review the uploaded photo and any instructions from the user before the animated video is even shown. There is a final safety check process before the video is cleared for posting to a Story.
As with other content, users in the community can easily report videos they believe violate TikTok's rules. Furthermore, TikTok ensures all AI Alive stories are clearly labeled as being AI-generated, adding transparency. The feature also embeds C2PA metadata, a technology designed to help others identify the video as AI-made even if it is downloaded and shared away from the platform.
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