homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Portrait-to-animation AI brings to life Marie Curie, Charles Darwin, and more

This is very surreal.

Tibi Puiu
March 2, 2021 @ 4:37 pm

share Share

Marie Curie (1920). Credit: My Heritage.

Going from pictures to moving pictures was a huge leap in technology and value. We can now archive human culture in a far richer format than simple text or static photos. Now, it is even possible to fill in the blanks from the past. Using AI, researchers have transformed photos of famous people into hyper-realistic animations that shine new light upon historical figures.

Charles Darwin (1855). Credit: My Heritage.

Anyone can use the tool — fittingly named Deep Nostalgia — to animate faces in photos uploaded to the system. The new service, which was produced by genealogy site MyHeritage, uses deep learning to turn a static portrait into a short video with life-like facial expressions.

Amelia Earhart (1937). Credit: My Heritage.

Specifically, the AI uses a method known as adversarial networks (or GANs for short) in which two different AIs are pit against each other. One of the networks is responsible for producing content while the other verifies how well the content emulates references. Over billions of iterations, the AI can get very good — so good it might fool you that it is original footage.

The tool is ideal for animating old family photos and celebrity pictures. It can even work with drawings and illustrations.

In order to bring a portrait to life, the AI maps a person’s face onto footage of another. It’s essentially the same way deepfakes work to impersonate people, whether it’s Donald Trump joining Breaking Bad or Mark Zuckerberg saying things he never actually said. But since the tool doesn’t also come with fake audio, there shouldn’t be any risk of nefarious usage — yet.

https://twitter.com/pedigreetales/status/1365042664664662018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1365042664664662018%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2F2021%2F2%2F28%2F22306097%2Fai-brings-still-photos-life-meme-twitter-geneaology-myheritage

Some will feel enchanted by Deep Nostalgia, while others will undoubtedly be creeped out. But regardless of how the products of this AI make you feel, I think we can all agree that the technology behind them is damn impressive.

share Share

Biggest Modern Excavation in Tower of London Unearths the Stories of the Forgotten Inhabitants

As the dig deeper under the Tower of London they are unearthing as much history as stone.

Millions Of Users Are Turning To AI Jesus For Guidance And Experts Warn It Could Be Dangerous

AI chatbots posing as Jesus raise questions about profit, theology, and manipulation.

Can Giant Airbags Make Plane Crashes Survivable? Two Engineers Think So

Two young inventors designed an AI-powered system to cocoon planes before impact.

First Food to Boost Immunity: Why Blueberries Could Be Your Baby’s Best First Bite

Blueberries have the potential to give a sweet head start to your baby’s gut and immunity.

Ice Age People Used 32 Repeating Symbols in Caves Across the World. They May Reveal the First Steps Toward Writing

These simple dots and zigzags from 40,000 years ago may have been the world’s first symbols.

NASA Found Signs That Dwarf Planet Ceres May Have Once Supported Life

In its youth, the dwarf planet Ceres may have brewed a chemical banquet beneath its icy crust.

Nudists Are Furious Over Elon Musk's Plan to Expand SpaceX Launches in Florida -- And They're Fighting Back

A legal nude beach in Florida may become the latest casualty of the space race

A Pig Kidney Transplant Saved This Man's Life — And Now the FDA Is Betting It Could Save Thousands More

A New Hampshire man no longer needs dialysis thanks to a gene-edited pig kidney.

The Earliest Titanium Dental Implants From the 1980s Are Still Working Nearly 40 Years Later

Longest implant study shows titanium roots still going strong decades later.

Common Painkillers Are Also Fueling Antibiotic Resistance

The antibiotic is only one factor creating resistance. Common painkillers seem to supercharge the process.