Thanks to Microsoft’s latest artificial intelligence technology, the Mona Lisa is now capable of more than just smiling.
Microsoft researchers unveiled a new artificial intelligence (AI) model last week that can automatically produce a realistic-looking video of a person speaking from a still photograph of their face and an audio clip of them speaking.
The videos feature captivating lip syncing and realistic head and face motions. They can be created using photorealistic faces, cartoon characters, or artwork.
Researchers demonstrated how they animated the Mona Lisa to recite an amusing rap by actress Anne Hathaway in one demo film.
The VASA-1 AI model produces outputs that are both amusing and a little startling in their realism. According to Microsoft, the technology might be applied to the creation of virtual human companions or to improve accessibility for people who struggle with communication. However, it’s also easy to understand how the tool could be misused and turned into an identity theft tool.
Beyond Microsoft, experts are concerned that the proliferation of technologies for producing realistic AI-generated images, films, and audio will give rise to new kinds of deception.
There are also concerns that the technology may further upend the creative sectors, including advertising and movies.
Microsoft stated that it does not currently intend to make the VASA-1 model available to the general public. This action is comparable to how Microsoft partner OpenAI is addressing issues with Sora, an AI-generated video product.
