
Same ingredient, same recipe. But when they're cooked differently, the result can be a different dish.
The AI industry was dull and boring, until it was disrupted soon after OpenAI introduced ChatGPT. Since then, pretty much all other tech companies, large and small, try to either experiment with the technology, or create new ones.
And Pika is just one of the increasing number of players in the field.
Pika, also known as Pika Labs, was one of the first startups to emerge with its own AI video generation model, allowing users to simply type in text and get video clips in return.
After launching what it calls an "idea-to-video" text-to-video AI, and after competitors began to outclass Pika in terms of realism and the effects they’re capable of, Pika debuted what it calls the 'Pika 1.5.'
And its 'Pikaffect' quickly captivated the audience.
This time, using pretty much the same ingredient, Pika introduces yet more effects for its Pikaffect feature.
Further expanding the special effects users can access through its web-based AI image-to-video generator, Pika 1.5 now includes the ability to crumble, dissolve, deflate and "ta-da" video subjects - the lest of the these essentially makes a video subject disappear behind a cloth.
These four join the six others previously unveiled: explode, squish, melt, crush, inflate and "cake-ify."
To experiment and use these effects, users must first upload an image to the site, and have Pika 1.5 turn it into a video with a corresponding animation.
NEW PIKAFFECT ALERT
Now you can Crumble, Dissolve, Deflate and Ta-Da stuff.
Like, right now.
Try it at https://t.co/nqzjGy8AB5 pic.twitter.com/rUlKdYsR81— Pika (@pika_labs) October 15, 2024
Pika 1.5 was raised with appraisal and positive reviews.
Soon after Pika introduced Pikaffect, users began creating videos that are both hilariously incongruous and surprisingly convincing.
With Pikaffects, people are transforming the world into a playground of unexpected deformations, gaining many fans among AI video creators and early adopters.
While rival AI video generators have focused on increasing realism and control, Pika has been praised for taking a very different approach.
It's worth noting though, that Pika 1.5 is more than just a special effect creator. The version, which improves the previous version of the AI through a leap forward in enhancing motion realism, can generate lifelike movements for both humans and creatures, making it easier to produce realistic actions in short video clips.
Whether it's a person running, skateboarding, or even flying, Pika 1.5 is able to make the movements feel natural and fluid.
Another highlight is the introduction of advanced camera movements such as Bullet Time, Vertigo, Dolly Left, and Crane Down.
Pika 1.5 also allows users to create longer and higher-quality videos, incorporating more complex camera techniques