TikTok has launched a new feature called AI Alive, which enables users to turn static photos into short animated clips using text prompts. This tool, powered by ByteDance’s proprietary image-to-video model, is accessible through TikTok’s Story Camera.
To use AI Alive, users open the Story Camera and select an image from their Story Album. An “AI Alive” icon appears among the editing tools. Selecting it prompts the user to describe how they want the image to animate, after which the system generates a video that brings the photo to life.
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The feature can animate environmental changes, subtle expressions, and gestures. For example, a sunset photo can be transformed into a cinematic clip with changing colors, drifting clouds, and ambient sounds. Group selfies can be enhanced with animated motions and lifelike effects to create more dynamic memories.
TikTok has incorporated safety and transparency measures into AI Alive. Every video created with the tool includes C2PA metadata, which helps label AI-generated content so viewers can distinguish between human-made and synthetic media. The company also states that videos go through multiple layers of review to block harmful or inappropriate content. However, TikTok has yet to release a demo video, and the feature’s practical effectiveness remains to be seen.
