Artificial intelligence is turning old photos of people into short, animated clips that show them moving and blinking. The feature, called Deep Nostalgia, comes from the MyHeritage genealogy company. He uses machine learning to create facial expressions and movements that look super realistic, reported Tom’s Guide on Tuesday.
In a blog post, MyHeritage shared social media posts from users who were thrilled to see their loved ones who passed away come to life, if only for a few moments. The clips show people in black and white or faded photos by tilting their heads and looking around.
People also had fun bringing historical figures to life, including Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln and The Beatles.
Live Science shared clips of other historical figures like Amelia Earhart and Marie Curie on the move.
Amelia Earhart smiles and winks at the camera in an animation of Deep Nostalgia.
Live Science / MyHeritage
Marie Curie looks around with some curiosity.
Live Science / MyHeritage
Whether you find this tool scary or not (and you are totally justified in thinking it is), it is definitely a lot of fun to see these pieces of the past come to life. MyHeritage said that in the first 48 hours after the tool was launched at the end of last month, more than 1 million photos were animated.
“Users responded with admiration and emotion: some were amazed to see ancestors they never knew – some from more than 100 years ago – move, blink and smile, while others were thrilled to see their lost loved ones on the move after that many years with just pictures to remember “, wrote the company.