Matan Cohen Grumi shares his journey of exploring AI-generated video through his startup Pica, highlighting how their technology blends reality and imagination to create playful, emotionally engaging stories from just a single image. He envisions AI as a tool that enhances real-life moments by celebrating the emotions they evoke, rather than replacing genuine experiences.
In his TED talk, Matan Cohen Grumi shares a personal story about how his sister reacted when he told her he would be speaking on this platform, highlighting the skepticism he faced growing up. He reflects on how, as a child, his main desire was to explore and enjoy life, a passion that has guided him to where he is today. This sense of joy and curiosity became the foundation for his work in the emerging field of AI-generated video.
Two years ago, Matan joined the founding team of a startup called Pica, which aimed to build one of the first AI-powered video creation platforms. During the early days of generative AI, while many were focused on reimagining new realities, Matan and his team were more interested in reimagining the reality they lived in. They began experimenting by applying AI to their own office photos, discovering a magical blend of the real and unreal that sparked laughter and excitement among them.
One particular video featuring a colleague named Jesse stood out, and its popularity encouraged the team to share their creations with the world. The response was overwhelming, with millions enjoying the playful, surreal clips. However, despite the fun, Matan felt something was missing—a deeper story or emotional connection that viewers could relate to. This insight led them to develop technology that allows users to become the main character in their own stories, using just a single image to create any imagined scenario.
While working late nights fueled by pizza deliveries, Matan was inspired by news reports of a UFO sighting in New Jersey. He created a unique AI-generated video combining his own image, a slice of pizza, a UFO, and a park bench from New Jersey, demonstrating the ease and creativity enabled by their technology. This playful video exemplified how AI can blend reality and imagination in new and entertaining ways, sparking curiosity about the future possibilities of such tools.
Matan concludes by pondering the potential of AI to enhance real-life moments rather than replace them. By subtly augmenting genuine experiences, AI can help celebrate and honor memories as they are felt emotionally, not just as they were captured on camera. He believes that the true joy lies in the feelings these moments evoke, and he imagines his younger self would be thrilled by the innovations they have achieved. Ultimately, his talk is a celebration of creativity, emotion, and the exciting future of AI-generated video.