Startup MiniMax has officially launched the image-to-video feature of its product Hailuo AI on its website, offering creators a new tool to transform static images into dynamic video content.

Founded by AI researcher Yan Junjie, MiniMax is supported by major tech companies like Alibaba and Tencent. The company's earlier release, the Hailuo AI video generation model, quickly earned acclaim in the AI video sector for its highly realistic results.

When first launched in September 2024, Hailuo only supported text-to-video conversion, allowing users to create videos by inputting textual descriptions. Nevertheless, it attracted early adopters with its smooth and lifelike character movements, outperforming American competitors like Runway and Luma AI in creating more natural and fluid animations.

With the addition of the image-to-video feature, Hailuo AI now offers services on par with its competitors. By integrating both text and image inputs, the platform can generate highly personalized visual outputs, blending creative directives with AI precision.

Furthermore, Hailuo is renowned for its diverse range of styles, including surrealism, fantasy sci-fi, and abstract anime, catering to various creative needs. This makes Hailuo appealing to filmmakers, digital artists, and game developers alike.

Previously, MiniMax's 'video-01' video generation tool garnered significant attention for its ability to handle human movements and gestures. An example of the company's technical prowess is demonstrated in a viral video featuring Star Wars characters engaging in lightsaber battles, showcasing its capability to produce hyper-realistic content.

In addition to video generation tools, MiniMax has expanded its AI-based product lines, including a music generation model that allows users to create tracks in various styles; the Hailuo AI platform, which supports intelligent search, document summarization, and even voice interactions. Moreover, the Xingye app enables users to create and interact with customized AI companions, providing entertainment and emotional experiences.

Currently, most of the application's interfaces only support Chinese; however, Hailuo AI uniquely offers English support. According to the Hailuo AI Discord server administrators, new pricing plans and related benefits will be announced shortly.

As MiniMax continues to develop its AI products, its rapid growth highlights the evolving trends in the generative AI sector. For video creators looking to enhance their creative output, Hailuo AI's newly introduced image-to-video tool is now available online.