AI models
xAI's new model animates one photo into video — 'preview' is the word doing the work
Cinematic video from a single still, at 720p, in preview. Impressive — and unfinished.
xAI released Grok Imagine 1.5, an image-to-video preview, on 3 June 2026 — promising, not proven.
On 3 June 2026, xAI dropped grok-imagine-video-1.5-preview via its API: feed it a still, get back cinematic video with camera moves and physics, 'faithful to the source.' If it works as shown, it's a real entry in the hottest, most-crowded corner of generative AI. The capability story is legitimately interesting.
Read the fine print
Two caveats sit right in xAI's own framing. 'Preview' means early and unfinished — expect rough edges and changing behaviour. And up to 720p is fine for a phone feed but short of the crisp, higher-res output that defines the top tier of this category. Neither is hidden; both just don't make the hype reel. The honest verdict: promising, not proven.
The strategy underneath
The quieter story is pricing and positioning. xAI says its flagship Grok 4.3 runs $1.25/M input, $2.50/M output — aggressive numbers — and it's now bolting a creative-media line on top. That's a company trying to undercut on text and land in image/video at once. Ambitious. Just don't confuse a 720p preview with a category win; this is a credible opening move, not a finished product.
Sources
- Grok Imagine 1.5 — xAI, 3 June 2026
- Grok Imagine API — xAI, 1 May 2026
- Grok 4.3 — models — xAI, 3 June 2026