This TikTok feature might animate your worst photos
Matt V
May 15, 2025
AI SOCIAL MEDIA
TikTok has launched a new AI feature called AI Alive, letting users transform still photos into short videos within TikTok Stories.
You’ll find it in the Story Camera, which uses AI to add movement, effects, and sound, like making the clouds drift or the sea shimmer in a beach photo.
Even group selfies can be brought to life by highlighting expressions and gestures.
This is TikTok’s first go at image-to-video AI, expanding on its earlier text-to-image tool.
Instagram and Snapchat also offer text-to-image, but TikTok is stepping it up with video creation from images.
Snapchat says it’s working on a similar feature too.
What you should know:
Turns still photos into animated videos using AI.
Clearly marked as AI-generated, with built-in traceability.
Safety checks and moderation tools are part of the process.
Mood: Animated
Any content made with AI Alive will be labelled as AI-generated and include C2PA metadata, so even if someone downloads and re-uploads it elsewhere, it’s still traceable as AI-made.
TikTok says safety is built in throughout the process: photos are reviewed before a video is even shown to the user, and there’s one final check before the story goes live.
Users can also report anything they think breaks the rules.
How to use it: Open the Story Camera via the blue plus on your Inbox or Profile page, choose a photo from your Story Album, and tap the AI Alive icon on the right.
Jump scare when the clouds start MOVING.