A new artificial intelligence has been created to bring old photos to life.
The technology, called ‘Deep Nostalgia’, has been used to infuse the illusion of life into photos of long-dead people.
It was created by online genealogy company MyHeritage and is available online for anyone to apply to their own photos.
The results have been posted on Twitter and, while it’s very impressive tech, we’re getting some strong uncanny valley, Harry Potter-style vibes.
Deep Nostalgia uses pre-recorded driver videos of facial movements and then applies whichever one works best to the photo that’s uploaded.
In order to use it, you need to sign up for a free account on MyHeritage and then you can upload a photo. The entire process happens automatically and you’ll get to see your deceased loved one brought back to life.
According to the MyHeritage website, the company does not hand over any of the photos to third parties.
However, it does recognise that some people may find the technology a bit creepy.
‘Some people love the Deep Nostalgia™ feature and consider it magical, while others find it creepy and dislike it,’ the company says in an FAQ on its website.
‘Indeed, the results can be controversial and it’s hard to stay indifferent to this technology.
‘We invite you to create videos using this feature and share them on social media to see what your friends and family think.’
‘This feature is intended for nostalgic use, that is, to bring beloved ancestors back to life. Our driver videos don’t include speech in order to prevent abuse of this , such as the creation of “deep fake” videos of living people.
‘Please use this feature on your own historical photos and not on photos featuring living people without their permission.’
