Another day, another frightening AI advancement – and this time it's coming for the TikTok influencers. Well, not exactly, but AI's latest leap has enabled some exciting advancements, producing a surprisingly sophisticated image-to-video generator that can turn simple pictures into a range of animated videos.
Animate Anyone is by no means the first of its kind and there are plenty of AI art generators that can produce equally refined results, but is arguably one of the most advanced generators for video content. With the ability to reproduce a variety of art styles – from realism to anime – it marks an exciting (and slightly scary) new AI era.
Animate Anyone was unveiled in a study written by researchers at Alibaba Group’s Institute for Intelligent Computing. Similarly to other models, it uses a scan of a static image to draw out details such as facial features and patterns. With these, it creates a series of slightly altered versions of the original image which can be used to simulate movement.
The team demonstrated the AI's capabilities in a video which compared the generator to competitor models. The video featured examples such as a posing model, dynamic anime characters and a TikTok dancer – all displaying impressive movement fluidity. It's not yet a perfect product (it too struggles with AI's mortal enemy – the phalanges) but with groundbreaking smooth transitions and impressive consistency, the new tool could prove extremely useful as it develops.
With advancements in deepfake technology, there have been concerns over copyright and privacy issues once the new animation model is widely available. The role of AI has increasingly been a subject of controversy in the past few years, but if we view it as a tool, rather than a replacement for human creativity, it's exciting to imagine the possibilities. It could prove invaluable to future game developers, animations and content creators – if it's implemented mindfully.
The AI is still in early development and has no set date for release. You can keep up to date via the developer's GitHub page, but currently, the fruitful careers of TikTokkers all over the land are safe (for now).
For more AI news, check out the AI photography competition that has sparked debate online or take a look at the viral Mona Lisa photo that almost fooled the internet.
