Pika Labs new AI cinematic video generation tool wows Twitterati
Using text and images to generate decent video is hard, but there are now more companies breaking boundaries.
Key takeaways
- Generative Artificial Intelligence company Pika Labs has unveiled its latest model Pika 1.0 which builds on earlier versions and is a significant step up in AI video generation.
- Like earlier and more limited versions of the Pika Labs technology, this will be available to use on the Pika Discord server but will also be available on the Pika.art website for the first time.
- Demand for the new tool has caused the Pika website to become unresponsive several times over the past 24 hours since the announcement.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2024) 'Pika Labs new AI cinematic video generation tool wows Twitterati', 311 Institute, 18 January. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/pika-labs-new-ai-cinematic-video-generation-tool-wows-twitterati/ (Accessed: 25 October 2026).
Generative Artificial Intelligence company Pika Labs has unveiled its latest model Pika 1.0 which builds on earlier versions and is a significant step up in AI video generation.
Dubbed an "idea-to-video" model, it can produce content in a range of styles and allows for editing existing video clips by painting over objects, people, or even whole scenes.
In a promotional video for Pika 1.0, you see an example of clothing being changed on the fly, the style of the video clip being updated, and even real people such as Elon Musk being depicted as a cartoon character.
See the future of synthetic Content, with Keynote Matthew Griffin
The multimodal AI model lets you turn a text prompt, image, video, or even object within a clip into something entirely new at the press of a button.
Like earlier and more limited versions of the Pika Labs technology, this will be available to use on the Pika Discord server but will also be available on the Pika.art website for the first time.
The company has started the process of rolling it out to people signing up for the waiting list with full rollout expected to take a few weeks. Demand for the new tool has caused the Pika website to become unresponsive several times over the past 24 hours since the announcement.
See the examples
“My Co-Founder and I are creatives at heart. We know first hand that making high-quality content is difficult and expensive, and we built Pika to give everyone, from home users to film professionals, the tools to bring high-quality video to life,” said Demi Guo, Pika co-founder and CEO. “Our vision is to enable anyone to be the director of their stories and to bring out the creator in all of us.”
Pika 1.0 comes at a time of growing competition in the AI video space. Unlike generative images, which are practically mainstream, generative video is a harder problem to crack.
Until recently Runway was running ahead of the pack with its Gen-2 model. This is capable of generative video from text, image, or a combination of both. It also offers fine-tuned controls and the ability to highlight which parts of the video should be animated.
It feels like generative video is catching up fast. In the past week, we’ve seen new tools from Runway, the launch of Stable Video Diffusion from StabilityAI, and Meta announcing its Emu Video AI model that is coming to Instagram at some point in the future.
I haven't been able to try Pika 1.0 for myself yet, but I have tried earlier versions of the model on Discord and it creates impressive clips. If the reality lives up to the hype, including being able to edit frame-by-frame, then Pika 1.0 could be for generative AI video what ChatGPT was for generative AI generally.
What this means for your organisation
Video production costs are collapsing.
Pika lets anyone change clothing, style or whole scenes with a click. Work that needed crews and editing suites can now start from a prompt. Marketing teams should pilot generative video for adverts, training and social content.
The tool race is crowded.
Runway, StabilityAI and Meta all launched rival tools within days. Features will change fast and leaders today may not lead tomorrow. Avoid long lock-in and keep workflows portable between tools.
Real people can be faked easily.
Pika's demo showed Elon Musk turned into a cartoon. Easy likeness editing raises legal and reputational risks. Set rules on using real people, and label synthetic content clearly.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Which of our video formats could generative tools produce faster?
- How do we avoid lock-in as video tools change every few months?
- What rules govern our use of real people in synthetic video?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Using text and images to generate decent video is hard, but there are now more companies breaking boundaries.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 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."
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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." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist 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.
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Sources and further reading
- Pika.art pika.art