MyHeritage unveils LiveMemory to bring family photos alive with AI photo-to-video technology
MyHeritage has added LiveMemories to its slate of AI-powered photo features for its geneology service. LiveMemories uses artificial intelligence trained on image-to-video conversion to animate photos into five second video clips, providing family members with an extra sense of realism when reviewing their family history.
LiveMemories examines each photo for clues about what the most common actions might be. For example, if a couple is sitting on a lawn and one has a guitar, then the AI might pick playing the guitar as the most likely action that would have been happening at the time the photo was taken. The software then uses the power of deep learning to animate the couple and guitar in a realistic manner. The company warns viewers the recreated movements are not real by embedding a watermark in the corner of all generated videos.
The LiveMemories feature is available for download as part of the MyHeritage software on Android OS and Apple iOS devices. The feature is free to try, but continued use requires a subscription to their $299 Complete or $399 Omni yearly plans. The various plans unlock access to DNA matching, worldwide family records, historical newspapers, photo scanning, and other AI-powered photo features, including the ability to colorize photos and animate faces in photos to speak custom narrations.
Readers who want an easy way to add video clips from their daily lives to their family history can pick up an Insta360 Go 3s (sold here on Amazon) for one-button recording of 4K clips all day long.
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MyHeritage Releases LiveMemory™ to Make Your Memories Come to Life in Video
November 25, 2024 08:01 AM Eastern Standard Time
TEL AVIV, Israel & LEHI, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MyHeritage, the leading global platform for family history, announced today the release of LiveMemory™, an incredible new feature that enables you to relive your favorite memories by turning any photo into a short video clip. The video reimagines the scene as if you were watching it live, and is perfect for sharing with family and friends. LiveMemory™ is available on the MyHeritage mobile app for iOS and Android.
“a stunning new development in family history storytelling. Seeing my ancestors move was surreal.”
LiveMemory™ uses cutting-edge 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 a stunning 5-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™ is perfect for reenacting nostalgic family photos. It 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.
“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.”
Leading family history bloggers are already raving about LiveMemory™. Maureen Taylor, known throughout the genealogy community as The Photo Detective™, was astonished when she saw her LiveMemory™ videos, calling it “a stunning new development in family history storytelling. Seeing my ancestors move was surreal.” Roberta Estes from DNAeXplained was speechless; she was too overcome with emotion as she watched a video clip of her mother dancing. She later said, “It’s really powerful. I need a whole box of Kleenex now!” James Tanner, author of the Genealogy’s Star blog, said that LiveMemory™ “brings home the real emotion of genealogy and creates a stronger connection to your ancestors.”
LiveMemory™ is the company’s third feature to animate photos with AI. The first, Deep Nostalgia™, animated a single face in a photo and became a global sensation, topping the mobile app store charts in dozens of countries. The second, DeepStory™, made family photos speak. MyHeritage’s powerful suite of photo features has captivated audiences worldwide, transforming the way they connect with their family history. It includes 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™, which allows you to picture yourself in different historical eras. 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.
While highly realistic, the video clips are reenactments created by artificial intelligence; they are not authentic. As part of MyHeritage’s commitment to responsible AI, watermarks are added to LiveMemory™ videos to distinguish them from authentic videos.
LiveMemory™ videos enable you to relive the past and are ideal for sharing with family and friends on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky, WhatsApp, and other social media. Users are encouraged to share their video clips with the hashtags #MyHeritage #LiveMemory.
LiveMemory™ is a premium feature on MyHeritage. Anyone can try it for free, for a limited number of videos. To create more videos, a subscription is required.
Try LiveMemory™ today on the MyHeritage mobile app, available for download on the App Store and Google Play.
About MyHeritage
MyHeritage is the leading global platform for family history. It enriches the lives of people worldwide by enabling them to uncover more about themselves and where they belong. With a suite of intuitive products, billions of historical records, an affordable at-home DNA test, and AI-powered photo tools, MyHeritage creates a meaningful discovery experience that is deeply rewarding. The MyHeritage platform is enjoyed by tens of millions of people around the world who treasure and celebrate their heritage. MyHeritage offers full privacy controls and is available in 42 languages. www.myheritage.com
Contacts
MyHeritage
Margaux Stelman
Head of Public Relations
Phone: +972 52-953-4295
Email: [email protected]