Captions rebrands as Mirage, expands past creator instruments to AI video analysis | TechCrunch

Captions, an AI-powered video creation and modifying app for content material creators that has secured over $100 million in enterprise capital up to now at a valuation of $500 million, is rebranding to Mirage, the corporate introduced on Thursday. 

The brand new title displays the corporate’s broader ambitions to turn into an AI analysis lab targeted on multimodal foundational fashions particularly designed for short-form video content material for platforms like TikTok, Reels, and Shorts. The corporate believes this method will distinguish it from conventional AI fashions and rivals similar to D-ID, Synthesia, and Hour One.

The rebranding will even unify the corporate’s choices beneath one umbrella, bringing collectively the flagship creator-focused AI video platform, Captions, and the lately launched Mirage Studio, which caters to manufacturers and advert manufacturing.

“The way we see it, the real race for AI video hasn’t begun. Our new identity, Mirage, reflects our expanded vision and commitment to redefining the video category, starting with short-form video, through frontier AI research and models,” CEO Gaurav Misra advised TechCrunch.

The gross sales pitch behind Mirage Studio, which launched in June, focuses on enabling manufacturers to create quick commercials with out counting on human expertise or massive budgets. By merely submitting an audio file, the AI generates video content material from scratch, with an AI-generated background and customized AI avatars. Customers also can add selfies to create an avatar utilizing their likeness.

What units the platform aside, in accordance with the corporate, is its capacity to provide AI avatars which have natural-looking speech, actions, and facial expressions. Moreover, Mirage says it doesn’t depend on current inventory footage, voice cloning, or lip-syncing. 

Mirage Studio is accessible beneath the marketing strategy, which prices $399 per thirty days for 8,000 credit. New customers obtain 50% off the primary month. 

Whereas these instruments will probably profit manufacturers desirous to streamline video manufacturing and avoid wasting cash, in addition they spark considerations across the potential affect on the artistic workforce. The rising use of AI in commercials has prompted backlash, as seen in a current Guess advert in Vogue’s July print version that featured an AI-generated mannequin.

Moreover, as this expertise turns into extra superior, distinguishing between actual and deepfake movies turns into more and more troublesome. It’s a troublesome capsule to swallow for many individuals, particularly given how rapidly misinformation can unfold today.

Mirage lately addressed its position in deepfake expertise in a weblog publish. The corporate acknowledged the real dangers of misinformation whereas additionally expressing optimism in regards to the constructive potential of AI video. It talked about that it has put moderation measures in place to restrict misuse, similar to stopping impersonation and requiring consent for likeness use. 

Nevertheless, the corporate emphasised that “design isn’t a catch-all” and that the actual answer lies in fostering a “new kind of media literacy” the place folks method video content material with the identical vital eye as they do information headlines.