MyHeritage releases LiveMemory to make still images become video memories

Family history platform MyHeritage released LiveMemory, a new feature enabling users to relive their favorite memories by turning any photo into a short video clip. LiveMemory is available on the MyHeritage mobile app for iOS and Android. LiveMemory uses  AI technology to animate whole photos and simulate the scenes depicted in them in a highly realistic way. When a photo is uploaded, the AI model analyzes it to create the most suitable animation to reenact the scene. In photos with multiple people, the algorithm will animate the gestures and make them interact based on what it thinks will be most realistic. The result is a5-second video clip. For example, a photo of a child on a bicycle will turn into a video of the child riding; a wedding photo will transform into a video of the couple sharing a kiss, and a photo of a musician will be reimagined as a video of them playing their instrument. LiveMemory also works well on photos with non-human subjects such as pets or vehicles. The algorithm can simulate parts of the scene not pictured in the original photo, as if a camera is following the movement beyond the edges of the photo.

LiveMemory is available on the MyHeritage mobile app, available for download on the App Store and Google Play. LiveMemory is a premium feature on MyHeritage. Anyone can try it for free, for a limited number of videos.

“At MyHeritage, we inspire people to connect with their family history in exciting and meaningful new ways,” said Gilad Japhet, founder and CEO of MyHeritage. “LiveMemory™ enables anyone to bring their favorite memories captured in photos back to life and feel closer to their loved ones, or even to ancestors they have never met. It’s the ultimate way to reminisce.”

LiveMemory is the company’s third feature to animate photos with AI. The first, Deep Nostalgia, animated a single face in a photo, and the second, DeepStory, made family photos speak. MyHeritage also has a suite of photo features,  MyHeritage In Color to colorize black and white photos and restore faded color photos; Photo Enhancer, which sharpens blurry photos to improve their resolution; Photo Repair, which removes scratches and creases instantly, and AI Time Machine. The MyHeritage photo features have gone viral, and have collectively been used hundreds of millions of times, sparking new interest in family history and introducing new audiences to the fascinating world of genealogy.

As part of MyHeritage’s commitment to responsible AI, watermarks are added to LiveMemory videos to distinguish them from authentic videos.