Pika Labs has released version 2.0 of its AI video generator with a major new feature that allows users to add their own images to AI-generated videos. The company calls this feature "Scene Ingredients."
The tool works by letting users build scenes from different visual pieces. You can upload pictures of people, objects, clothing, or environments, and the AI figures out what each image is meant to be and combines them into a working scene.
For example, if you upload a photo of someone and a picture of a cat, then type "a person petting a cat," the AI understands what you want and creates an animated video of that interaction.
The system lets you mix and match different elements - you can throw in pictures of people, objects, clothes, or backgrounds, then add text to tell the AI what you want them to do. Users are already getting creative with it: some have taken figures from historical paintings and dropped them into modern scenes, while others have created dance videos by combining different visual elements.
Pika Labs takes aim at OpenAI's Sora with wider availability
Pika Labs announced that its upgraded video generator, which also features improved visual quality and better prompt following, will be available to all users, including those in the European Union.
This approach differs from OpenAI's strategy with Sora - while a basic version is available to all ChatGPT users, the full-featured version remains limited to Pro subscribers who pay $200 per month. One key restriction is that only Pro users can upload and animate images containing people. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said that Sora won't be available in the EU for now due to regulatory requirements.
Video: Pika Labs
Stanford students Demi Guo and Chenlin Meng founded Pika Labs, building a team that includes AI researchers who previously worked at Google, Meta, and Uber. The startup has raised $80 million and is currently valued at $470 million.
The company had already released a generative audio model for sound effects and pre-made video effects before this update. Users can try the new version 2.0 on pika.art or through the company's Discord server.
