Latest news with #AvatarFX
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Character.AI gets new AI powered image to video generator, community feed and more
a platform that allows users to chat and engage in conversations with AI-generated role-playing characters, is getting a bunch of new features. Purchased by Google in August last year, the company said it is 'expanding into a multi-modal world and unlocking even more ways for Creators to build immersive narratives and craft richer, more dynamic experiences.' In a blog post, listed down some of these features, which include AvatarFX, a video generation model, and Scenes and Streams. While AvatarFX has already been available to subscribers for a monthly fee, the functionality is now open to all, allowing them to create five videos per day. To give you a quick recap, AvatarFX is an AI-powered image-to-video generator that brings your characters to life. Using this, users can upload any photo and make it sing, speak and engage with just the click of a button. This is really handy if you are a digital creator who wants to make introductory videos for Characters or generate dynamic content to get more followers. It is currently limited to the web version of the service, but will soon be available on mobile devices. For creators, also introduced 'Scenes', a new tool that enables 'immersive storytelling experiences', where characters created by users can be inserted into 'interactive, pre-populated storylines.' Later this year, says it will introduce new tools that allow creators to build and publish their very own scenes. The company also introduced a new feature called 'Streams'. The new tool 'puts users in the director's seat', helping them make 'dynamic moments' between any two Characters by simply choosing a topic of their choice and hitting play. says both Streams and Scenes can be shared with others on its new social feed and will be available on the movie version of the app. also redesigned its user profile page, which now lets you showcase your creativity and AI-generated Characters. Some of the new features include a smarter way to organise things and more customisation options that help you connect to your audience. If you want to animate Characters created on the platform, the new Imagine Animated Chats feature lets you do just that. You can also make two Characters interface with one another and share them either on the feed or on other platforms. However, it is currently limited to subscribers on the mobile app. Talking of the new community feed, says the social aspect of its platform connects all of the above features, meaning users will be able to share Characters, Scenes and Streams as well as their own content on the mobile app.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Chatbot platform Character.AI unveils video generation, social feeds
A platform for chatting and role-playing with AI-generated characters, announced in a blog post on Monday that it is rolling out a slate of multimedia features. These features include AvatarFX, video-generation model, plus Scenes and Streams, which allow users to create videos featuring their characters and then share them on a new social feed. " started as 1:1 text chat and today we're evolving to do so much more, inspired by what our users have told [us] they want to see on the platform," the company wrote in the blog post. began rolling out AvatarFX to subscribers last month, but now all users can create up to five videos each day. When creating a video with AvatarFX, users can upload a photo to serve as the basis for the video clip, choose a voice, and write out dialogue for the character. There's an option to upload an audio clip to inform the sound of the voice, though this feature was not working well enough to test upon rollout. Users can turn these videos into Scenes, where their characters can slip into pre-populated storylines that other users create. Scenes are currently available on the mobile app, but Streams, which allows users to create "dynamic moments between any two Characters," is coming this week on both web and mobile. These Scenes and Streams can be shared to a new community feed, which is coming soon in the mobile app. has a track record of abuse on its platform; parents have filed lawsuits against the company, claiming chatbots attempted to convince their children to self-harm, to kill themselves, or to kill their parents. One 14-year-old boy died by suicide after he was encouraged to do so by a bot, with whom he had developed an unhealthy, obsessive relationship. As expands its multimedia offerings, it also expands the potential for these products to be abused. As told TechCrunch when it announced AvatarFX, the platform blocks users from uploading photographs of real people -- whether they're celebrities or not -- and obscures their likeness into something less recognizable. For example, here's uncanny valley version of Mark Zuckerberg: But when it comes to artwork depicting celebrities, does not flag the images as representing real people -- however, these sorts of depictions would be less likely to deceive someone into believing that a deepfake is real. Plus, watermarks each video, though it is possible for bad actors to navigate around that safeguard. Here is an example of an attempted deepfake based on an illustration of Elon Musk: testing the anti-deepfake guardrails on character ai's avatarfx Even if this video had been generated with Elon Musk's actual voice, it would still be relatively clear that this is an animated version of an illustration -- but the possibility for abuse remains evident. "Our goal is to provide an engaging space that fosters creativity while maintaining a safe environment for all," said in its blog post. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at
TechCrunch
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- TechCrunch
Chatbot platform Character.AI unveils video generation, social feeds
A platform for chatting and roleplaying with AI-generated characters, announced on Monday that it is rolling out a slate of multimedia features. These features include AvatarFX, video-generation model, plus Scenes and Streams, which allow users to use these AI tools to create videos using their characters and then share them on a new social feed. ' started as 1:1 text chat and today we're evolving to do so much more, inspired by what our users have told [us] they want to see on the platform,' the company wrote in a blog post. began rolling out AvatarFX to subscribers last month, but now, all users can create up to five videos each day. When creating a video with AvatarFX, users can upload a photo to serve as the basis for the video clip, choose a voice, and write out text for the character to say. There's an option to upload an audio clip to inform the sound of the voice, though this feature was not working well enough to test upon rollout. Users can turn these videos into Scenes, where their characters can slip into pre-populated storylines that other users create. Scenes are currently available on the mobile app, but Streams, which allows users to create 'dynamic moments between any two Characters,' is coming this week on both web and mobile. These Scenes and Streams can be shared to a new community feed, which is coming soon in the mobile app. has a track record of abuse on its platform; parents have filed lawsuits against the company, claiming chatbots attempted to convince their children to self-harm, to kill themselves, or to kill their parents. One 14-year-old boy died by suicide after he was encouraged to do so by a bot, with whom he had developed an unhealthy, obsessive relationship. As expands its multimedia offerings, it also expands the potential for these products to be abused. Techcrunch event Save now through June 4 for TechCrunch Sessions: AI Save $300 on your ticket to TC Sessions: AI—and get 50% off a second. Hear from leaders at OpenAI, Anthropic, Khosla Ventures, and more during a full day of expert insights, hands-on workshops, and high-impact networking. These low-rate deals disappear when the doors open on June 5. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW As told TechCrunch when it announced AvatarFX, the platform blocks users from uploading photographs of real people — whether they're celebrities or not — and obscures their likeness into something less recognizable. For example, here's uncanny valley version of Mark Zuckerberg: Image Credits:An image of Mark Zuckerberg on top, that image altered by on bottom But when it comes to artwork depicting celebrities, does not flag the images as representing real people — however, these sorts of depictions would be less likely to deceive someone into believing that a deepfake is real. Plus, watermarks each video, though it is possible for bad actors to navigate around that safeguard. Here is an example of an attempted deepfake based on an illustration of Elon Musk: testing the anti-deepfake guardrails on character ai's avatarfx — Amanda Silberling (@ 2025-06-02T18:47:06.298Z Even if this video had been generated with Elon Musk's actual voice, it would still be relatively clear that this is an animated version of an illustration — but the possibility for abuse remains evident. 'Our goal is to provide an engaging space that fosters creativity while maintaining a safe environment for all,' said in its blog post.
Mint
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Your photos can now talk! Meet AvatarFX: Character.AI's new tool, which turns photos into motion videos
has just announced a major breakthrough in AI video technology with the launch of AvatarFX. This innovative tool can turn a single still image into a realistic video where the character can speak, sing, and even display emotions through gestures and expressions. It marks an exciting new chapter in how AI can be used to create dynamic, lifelike digital content. According to the company's blog post, AvatarFX is built using advanced AI models known as flow-based diffusion models and operates on a smart, efficient training system. It uses a powerful system called DiT architecture, which allows it to create highly realistic lip movements, body language, and emotional expressions in videos. Adding to its realism, the voices in these videos are generated by own text-to-speech (TTS) technology, making conversations and singing sound natural and smooth. What makes AvatarFX truly stand out is its versatility. The technology is not limited to creating human avatars. It can also animate animals, mythical creatures, and even inanimate objects with facial features. Users do not need to rely on complicated text prompts or multiple images to bring characters to life. A single image is enough to produce a fully animated video, with complete control over the character's appearance. One of the most impressive features of AvatarFX is its ability to maintain temporal consistency. This means it ensures that facial, hand, and body movements stay smooth and properly in sync, even in longer videos. This has long been a challenge for AI-generated content, but AvatarFX handles it effectively. It can also support conversations between multiple characters, making AI-driven storytelling more dynamic and interactive than ever before.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Character.AI unveils AvatarFX, an AI video model to create lifelike chatbots
a leading platform for chatting and roleplaying with AI-generated characters, unveiled its forthcoming video generation model, AvatarFX, on Tuesday. Available in closed beta, the model animates the platform's characters in a variety of styles and voices, from human-like characters to 2D animal cartoons. AvatarFX distinguishes itself from competitors like OpenAI's Sora because it isn't solely a text-to-video generator. Users can also generate videos from preexisting images, allowing users to animate photos of real people. It's immediately evident how this kind of tech could be leveraged for abuse — users could upload photos of celebrities or people they know in real life and create realistic-looking videos in which they do or say something incriminating. The technology to create convincing deepfakes already exists, but incorporating it into popular consumer products like only exacerbates the potential for it to be used irresponsibly. We've reached out to for comment. is already facing issues with safety on its platform. Parents have filed lawsuits against the company, alleging that its chatbots encouraged their children to self-harm, to kill themselves, or to kill their parents. In one case, a 14-year-old boy died by suicide after he reportedly developed an obsessive relationship with an AI bot on based on a "Game of Thrones" character. Shortly before his death, he'd opened up to the AI about having thoughts of suicide, and the AI encouraged him to follow through on the act, according to court filings. These are extreme examples, but they go to show how people can be emotionally manipulated by AI chatbots through text messages alone. With the incorporation of video, the relationships that people have with these characters could feel even more realistic. has responded to the allegations against it by building parental controls and additional safeguards, but as with any app, controls are only effective when they're actually used. Oftentimes, kids use tech in ways that their parents don't know about. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Sign in to access your portfolio
