• by Colin Kirkland , Yesterday

TikTok’s newest feature -- “TikTok AI Alive” -- pairs its Story Camera with AI to streamline the process of turning static photos into videos, supporting the platform’s video-first roots in an age of rapidly evolving AI-powered tech. 

According to the ByteDance-owned company, the feature uses AI-powered editing tools that provide users with the ability to add “movement, atmospheric and creative effects” to photos, ultimately resulting in fully-formed short-form video content. 

Per an example shared by TikTok, a user might use AI Alive to transform a photo they took of a sunset into a video clip in which “the sky gradually shifts hues, clouds drift lazily, and ambient sounds of waves crashing” fill the background. 

The tool also can be used to add gestures and expressions to selfies and group shots. 

Once a creator posts their AI Alive Story, other users can view the video clip from the app’s For You and Following feeds, as well as on the creator’s profile page. 

The company has assured users and advertisers that there are a series of safety precautions in place to label the AI-generated content, while ensuring that harmful content is not created. Other users can also report videos they think break Snap’s safety rules. 

The automatic photo-to-video feature follows a text-to-image AI generator that TikTok launched a few years ago.

Other social media platforms like Snapchat have announced plans to integrate a similar feature, but have not announced any launch dates.