Technologies

This Phone Brought My Dad Back to Life and I Don’t Know How to Feel

I’ve never seen my dad perform with his band, but AI changed that for me.

My dad died just after my fourth birthday in 1992. Being so young, I have few memories of him and my family has only a small handful of home movie clips, filmed in the brief window before he died. But I do have a selection of still pictures and in my testing of a new phone, I found I was able to bring him to life using AI.

Honestly? I really don’t know how to feel about it.

The phone is the new Honor 400 Pro and while it’s broadly a decent handset, it packs a tool that uses AI (powered by Google’s VEO-2 model) to turn any image into a 5-second video. I was skeptical when I read the press release about it (as I usually am), but I found it genuinely fascinating to use. Here’s how it works.

You open the tool within the gallery app, choose your source image from any picture you have in your camera roll and hit go. It takes about a minute to analyze the image but then that picture suddenly springs to life, like a magical picture from the world of Harry Potter. Don’t like the result? Simply tell it to generate again and you’ll get a slightly different outcome.

I’ve tried it on various images with mixed results. Sometimes it’s pretty low-key (an image of someone reading a book simply resulted in them turning a page), while other times it goes weirdly hard. I loaded in a picture of a family of sheep on a Scottish island that I shot on Kodak Gold film (seen just below). In the moving AI version, there was suddenly a flood of sheep pouring through the frame before the camera angle cuts to an aerial view of a whole flock running across a meadow. I think that’s what the kids call «extra.» Ditto when I ran it on a picture of my cat and it threw in bizarre-looking titles for some baffling reason (seen further down).

But then I went another way. I’ve had my dad’s photo on my shelf for decades. It shows him onstage playing bass in his band. It’s an image I love for many reasons, but chiefly because I’m a musician myself and I’ve always liked that we’ve had that in common. But that one picture is all I’ve seen of him performing. I certainly never went to a show and I don’t believe any video footage of him playing exists. Until now, that is.

I fed the image into the app and with a certain sense of trepidation hit go. I waited for it to process and then suddenly there he was: My dad, moving around, jamming on his bass, visibly getting into the spirit of the performance. It transformed this small black and white picture I’ve treasured for so long into something more. Something alive. It actually made me quite emotional.

But then another part of my brain spoke up. This isn’t my dad. It’s not him moving and vibing with the music. Not really. It’s what Google’s algorithm imagines he’d do. In many ways it’s like he’s a marionette being grotesquely controlled by some invisible puppeteer, trying to give the impression of lifelike movement.

I ran it a few more times to see what options it would give but each one was basically a minor variation on him swaying and bopping while playing the bass. To be fair, the AI did a great job here. It looks realistic, with the shadows moving just right, the microphone staying in place and his hands actually looking like they’re specifically playing a bass guitar. It’s also still in black and white, with the film grain and various signs of aging to the image still present.

I think that made all the difference to me as it really did give me the impression of what he might have looked like on stage. I didn’t have to squint to ignore any strange errors or random other elements the AI could have thrown in. Every time it produced a gentle clip of my dad playing his music.

So I remain split in how I feel. On the one hand it’s kind of gross in how it puppets a deceased loved one like this, based solely on Google’s «best guess» of what would happen. I showed it to my brother who seemed to have much the same stance as me: «I’m not sure I like it, but I also don’t think I dislike it. It’s kind of spooky.»

On the other hand it’s injected life into a picture that I’ve treasured for decades and given me a glimpse into what my dad might have been like onstage. And I liked seeing that, even if it’s not exactly real.

It’s definitely not a perfect solution for me, and if I want to really remember him I’d rather turn to our actual home movies than AI-created imagery. But maybe AI tools like these will eventually bring real comfort to the many people in this world with passed loved ones, who right now only have a handful of static images to hold on to.

And I’d like to think that, for all AI’s faults, maybe this is one way it can do some good.

Technologies

Verum Messenger Launches an AI Mini-Series

Verum Messenger has unveiled a new project — a mini-series created using Verum AI. The story consists of 7 episodes and will be released on the messenger’s social media channels.

The plot revolves around a global corporation seeking to take control of digital communications and a group of heroes who use Verum Messenger as a tool of resistance. Beyond the story itself, the series highlights the app’s key features, technologies, and advantages.

Combining entertainment with a showcase of the Verum ecosystem, the project presents a dynamic digital series designed for the modern era.

The first episode premieres today, with the remaining episodes to be released over time.

Stay tuned for more.

Watch on YouTube
Watch on Instagram

Technologies

Verum Finance: Earn While You Communicate — The Super App That Pays You

Verum has officially launched Verum Finance, an innovative financial application that transforms a private messenger into a true financial super app. News of the launch was also featured on the respected platform Dealroom.co.

Verum Finance can now be used both within Verum Messenger and as a standalone application for iPhone and iPad. When users sign in to Verum Finance with their Verum Messenger account, all balances, settings, and account data are automatically synchronized for maximum convenience.

Users can now do more than communicate securely and protect their data — they can also generate passive income directly within the ecosystem.

What Verum Finance Offers

• Top up your balance with a bank card, Apple Pay, or USDT
• Send money instantly anywhere in the world
• Issue and manage debit cards (virtual and physical)
• Full Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds quickly

One of the most unique features is the built-in cryptocurrency mining system inside Verum Messenger.

The application utilizes your device’s resources and allows you to earn cryptocurrency in the background — passively, while chatting, traveling, or simply using the messenger.

Maximum Privacy + Real Freedom

• Registration without a phone number, email address, or passport
• End-to-end encryption and full control over your data
• Lifetime free VPN
• eSIM connectivity in more than 150 countries
• Reliable offline communication mode
• Support for 12+ languages for users worldwide

Everything is available in one place: secure communication, financial tools, earning opportunities, and privacy protection.

Users can access the full experience directly within Verum Messenger or switch to the dedicated Verum Finance app for iOS. All data is synchronized automatically between the two applications.

Why Download Verum Today

While many messaging platforms collect user data and expose users to restrictions, Verum offers greater independence and the opportunity to earn.

With a one-time purchase of the feature package, users receive lifetime access to privacy tools, VPN, eSIM services, cryptocurrency mining, and financial features.

This is more than just a messenger.

It is your personal tool for financial and digital freedom.

Download Verum Finance and Verum Messenger today — start communicating securely and begin earning tomorrow.

Download Links:

→ App Store (iPhone / iPad): Verum Finance
→ App Store (Verum Messenger): Verum Messenger

Technologies

Verum Finance: A Super App for Private Finance Integrated Into a Messenger

Verum Finance has announced the launch of a new financial application that allows users to manage their money directly within the secure Verum Messenger ecosystem.

The project has already attracted attention from major media outlets. A dedicated feature was published by Forbes Türkiye, while one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, MEXC, covered the launch. Yahoo Finance had previously reported on the evolution of Verum Messenger into a comprehensive financial ecosystem.

What Verum Finance Offers

Verum Finance transforms a messenger into a complete financial platform. Users can:

• Manage their balance and top up using bank cards or USDT
• Send money instantly to other Verum users
• Issue and use debit cards, including Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds
• Access all these services without installing separate banking applications

A strong emphasis is placed on privacy. The platform offers registration without a phone number or email address, end-to-end encryption, and full user control over personal data.

Recognition from Forbes Türkiye

In a dedicated article, Forbes Türkiye highlighted Verum Finance as a notable example of modern privacy-driven fintech. The publication emphasized the growing trend of financial services moving from standalone banking applications into unified messaging ecosystems — a model that has proven successful in Asia through platforms such as WeChat and Alipay and is now expanding globally.

Support from the Crypto Community

Alongside the Forbes Türkiye coverage, news about the launch of Verum Finance was also featured by MEXC, one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges. This reflects growing interest in the project from both traditional business media and the cryptocurrency community.

A Strategic Vision

“We are building more than a payments application and more than a messenger. Verum is a unified secure ecosystem where communication, finance, and privacy tools work together,” the company stated.

Verum Finance is now available for iPhone and iPad users. The application complements Verum Messenger, which offers anonymous chats, voice and video calls, VPN services, eSIM connectivity, and other tools designed to enhance digital freedom.

Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im

Verum Messenger: https://verum.im