XAI has rolled out a new tool called Grok Imagine 1.5 Preview, an image-to-video model now available through its API. The move brings video generation directly from static images, with output capped at 720p resolution.
What the API offers
Developers can feed an image into the model and get a video back, no separate video-editing pipeline required. The company describes the workflow as seamless — upload a picture and the API handles the rest. Grok Imagine 1.5 Preview is the latest addition to xAI's line of generative AI tools, which until now have focused on text and image creation.
720p output and real-world use
The model generates video at 720p, a middle-ground resolution that balances quality and compute cost. That makes it suitable for short clips, social-media content, or prototypes rather than cinema-grade production. xAI has not disclosed the maximum clip length or file size limits for the preview version.
For teams building apps that need to turn product shots, artwork, or user-uploaded photos into short video loops, the API removes the need for external rendering services. The move also puts xAI in more direct competition with other image-to-video models from companies like Runway and Stability AI, though the 1.5 Preview label suggests the feature is still early-stage.
What's not yet known
Pricing for the API has not been announced — the preview is likely under xAI's standard usage tiers. The company also hasn't said when, or if, a consumer-facing version of Grok Imagine will appear inside its chatbot app. For now, the model is strictly a developer tool, and interested users will need an API key to test it.
