What is 'Deep Nostalgia', new AI tool that converts old photos into moving videos?

What if you could make your late grandfather in an old photo look up and smile at you? This and numerous other possibilities have intrigued social media users after discovering an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered service called Deep Nostalgia that animates the faces in still photos.

'Deep Nostalgia' has captured the attention of Twitterati as people are attempting to create the creepiest fake video possible using old pictures.

According to The Verge, the 'Deep Nostalgia service', offered by online genealogy company 'MyHeritage,' uses AI licensed from D-ID to create the effect that a still photo is moving. It is like the iOS Live 'Photos feature', which adds a few seconds of video to help smartphone photographers find the best shot.

However, 'Deep Nostalgia' can take photos from any camera and bring them to 'life.' The company said that the Deep Nostalgia feature uses several drivers prepared by MyHeritage. Each driver is a video consisting of a fixed sequence of movements and gestures.

It applies the drivers to a face in a still photo, creating a short video that people can share with their friends and family.

Its intended purpose is to allow you to upload photos of deceased loved ones and see them in 'action.'

"The driver guides the movements in the animation so you can see your ancestors smile, blink, and turn their heads. This really brings your photos to life," MyHeritage said.

The Verge reported that users have to sign up for a free account on MyHeritage and then upload a photo. From there the process is automated, following which the site enhances the image before animating it and creating a gif.

The site's FAQ says it does not provide the photos to any third parties, and on its main page, a message reads "photos uploaded without completing signup are automatically deleted to protect your privacy."

"Deep Nostalgia can only handle single headshots and can only animate faces, so will not be able to reanimate mummies to make them alive on a photo. A user can upload five photos for free to the MyHeritage website for 'Deep Nostalgia' treatment, after that one will have to register for a paid account."

Twitterati is using the programme to generate memes of all kinds with some even applying the tool to animate ancient statues.

(With agency inputs)