MIT’s new AI can create videos of the future by looking at a photo
The human brain is good at looking at a scene and figuring out what happens next, now an AI can look at a photo and create a video of the future from it and that opens up some interesting applications.
Key takeaways
- MIT CSAIL researchers have created a deep learning algorithm that can create videos that show what it expects to happen in the future.
- The team trained the new system by getting it to watch over two million videos and the resulting system then created the new footage by pitting two neural networks against each other.
- One neural network created the scene by figuring out which objects are moving in still frames while the other did a quality check and tried to determine is the resulting videos were real or simulated.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2016) 'MIT’s new AI can create videos of the future by looking at a photo', 311 Institute, 29 November. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/mits-new-ai-can-create-videos-of-the-future-by-looking-at-a-photo/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Lots of devices can take a snapshot that records what has just happened but what if your device could capture and "record" situations that were about to happen? Ironically it's not as far fetched as you might think. MIT CSAIL researchers have created a deep learning algorithm that can create videos that show what it expects to happen in the future. The team trained the new system by getting it to watch over two million videos and the resulting system then created the new footage by pitting two neural networks against each other.
One neural network created the scene by figuring out which objects are moving in still frames while the other did a quality check and tried to determine is the resulting videos were real or simulated. The artificial video was then deemed a success when the AI checker was fooled into thinking it was a real video.
As you'd expect the technology has its limits, for example, at the moment it can't generate videos longer than 1.5 seconds long and the results aren't mind blowingly realistic - it isn't aware that objects are still there when they move and tends to exaggerate their sizes. However, it's good enough to predict relatively complicated scenes like waves on the beach, or people walking on grass.
If CSAIL can extend predictions and make them more realistic, though, it could have a far reaching impact - especially as AI's are increasingly able to interpret and understand what is it they're actually seeing, not just the physics of movement.
Self driving cars could predict where vehicles and pedestrians are going with greater accuracy, and, for example, if an AI was able to figure out just by looking at a snapshot of someones posture and limb position that the person might be drunk it could feed that data back into the car to make sure it took appropriate action to avoid an accident. Meanwhile security cameras could spot mismatches in footage based on what they expect to see and the technology could also be used for relatively mundane tasks like adding animation to still images or creating better video compression technologies. And then, regardless of circumstances, predicting the future will help AI understand what's going on right now and that could help with just about any instance where computer vision is important.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
The human brain is good at looking at a scene and figuring out what happens next, now an AI can look at a photo and create a video of the future from it and that opens up some interesting applications.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on AI and intelligence and the future of your organisation.
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 29 November 2016. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2016). MIT’s new AI can create videos of the future by looking at a photo. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/mits-new-ai-can-create-videos-of-the-future-by-looking-at-a-photo/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.