TNB Night Owl – Animated Images From The Past

An enhanced image of Abraham Lincoln. Image captured by the News Blender.

Technology is moving along briskly. Artificial Intelligence has been making great leaps forward, and is already accessible to virtually anyone. The current hot trend in AI is to breathe new life into faces from the past. Starting with an original photograph or painting, they’ve learned how to employ AI to turn a still picture into an animated image. Here’s a good example from YouTube user “Mystery Scoop”, who has several similar videos posted on their channel if you like this one. “Breathtaking Historical Portraits Brought To Life Using AI Technology” (10:01):

However, it’s no longer necessary to become an AI guru in order to make your own videos from a still image. A geneology company, MyHeritage Ltd., teamed with D-ID, a company with expertise in rendering human faces using AI. They created a new online tool called “Deep Nostalgia” that allows the user to create brief 10-15 second animations of historical figures or loved ones from black & white or color images. Here are several samples of “Deep Nostalgia’s” work.

Herman Melville animated:

Lizzie Borden animated:

Frederick Douglass animated:

Not content with animated historical figures? Probably the most interesting application of the software is to animate pictures of ancestors, which is the intended purpose of Deep Nostalgia. You have two choices: online with the MyHeritage app (iOS or Android) or through a web browser.

MyHeritage wants you to sign up and pay for the service, of course, but they do permit free use up to a point. Be sure to carefully read the instructions. If you have questions, they’re only a phone call away and their number is conspicuously posted on their website.

This is what it’s all about…

This is a tool that’s going to get a great deal of use. I’ve got tons of old photos stored away that are just crying out for this treatment.

Question of the Night: Who would you like to see again (or for the first time)?

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About Richard Doud 622 Articles
Learning is a life-long endeavor. Never stop learning. No one is right all the time. No one is wrong all the time. No exceptions to these rules.