- Ai For Real Life
- Posts
- AI for Real Life — Week-in-Review
AI for Real Life — Week-in-Review
May 4 – 10 | Tutorials, Links, and Resources
🧠 AI for Real Life — Week-in-Review
May 4 – 10 | Tutorials, Links, and Resources
Hey friends,
If you’ve been watching the short videos this week, here’s your chance to dig a little deeper. Below you’ll find step-by-step guides, tool comparisons, and behind-the-scenes insights that didn’t fit in the TikToks. Let’s jump in.
1) How to Make AI Talking Baby Videos
These talking baby videos are all over TikTok right now—and they’re actually pretty simple to create. Here’s a fast breakdown if you want to try it yourself.
🧒 Quick Steps:
Pick your angle: Baby podcaster? Rapper? News anchor? The weirder, the better.
Generate your image: Tools like Leonardo AI or Krea AI work great. Include "slightly parted lips" in your prompt for better lip sync.
Create your voice track:
You can record a real clip or use ElevenLabs to convert your own voice to another using Speech-to-Speech.
Trim the audio: CapCut works well for trimming and exporting to MP3.
Lip-sync the image:
Polish it up (optional): Add captions and background music in CapCut.
Post and engage: Upload to TikTok, Reels, or Shorts. Ask viewers to guess how it was made.
Want the full breakdown with image prompt examples and voice settings? Here’s the full tutorial.
2) 🎭 Hedra vs Dreamina vs HeyGen 4 — Lip-Sync Showdown
If you’ve been wondering which tool gives the best lip-sync results, here’s a side-by-side comparison from my own tests this week.
Feature | Hedra | Dreamina | HeyGen 4 (Avatar IV) |
|---|---|---|---|
Lip-sync accuracy | Highly expressive and smooth (demo) | Very natural, especially in Master Mode (demo) | Takes a sec to sync, then looks great (example) |
Realism | Photoreal avatars, optional gestures (review) | Realistic motion and auto animation (CapCut) | Wide range of avatars and expression control |
Customization | Prompt-level gesture control | More automated, fewer manual settings | Broad language/voice options, less animation control |
Multilingual | Yes | Yes | 175+ languages, 300+ voices |
Extras | Eye blinks, hand movements | Fast/High-quality modes | Face swap, full video editor, long-form support |
Best tool for you?
Goal | Use this | Why |
Full animation control | Hedra | Prompt-driven gestures and emotion |
Fast, clean lip-sync | Dreamina | Great for social clips, minimal effort |
Commercial video flexibility | HeyGen 4 | Massive avatar and voice library |
3) Character Consistency with MidJourney Omni-Reference
Trying to keep your AI characters consistent across different shots? MidJourney’s Omni-Reference feature solves that.
How it works:
Upload a reference image.
Add a detailed prompt.
Use the
--ow(omni weight) slider from 1–1000 to control how closely it matches the reference. Most users find the sweet spot around 50–250.
Tips:
Works only with Model V7.
Crop your image to focus on the character.
You can only use one reference image per prompt.
This works great for:
Comic/storyboard sequences
Character portraits with outfit changes
Branding consistency across styles
Want to dive deeper? Here’s MidJourney’s official guide.
4) Google Veo 2 vs Kling AI: Free Trials & Pricing
What’s free, what’s worth paying for, and what gives you the best video quality?
Google Veo 2
Up to 9 free videos a day via AI Studio, 2 at a time.
New Google Cloud users get $300 in credits.
Paid tier is $0.50 per second using the Vertex AI API.
Kling AI
Free version available, but usage limits are unclear.
A 30-second video costs about $6 based on real tests (see example).
Runs on web, iOS, Android, and includes API access.
Side-by-side pricing summary:
Feature | Veo 2 (Google) | Kling AI |
Free Use | 9 videos/day + $300 cloud credit | Free trial, exact limits vary |
Paid Pricing | $0.50/second (Vertex AI) | ~$6 for 30 seconds |
Platforms | Web, API, Google Cloud | Web, iOS, Android, API |
Notable Strength | Cinematic quality, slow motion | Fast rendering, mobile access |
If you want predictability and pro output, Veo 2 is the safer bet. But for speed and mobile tools, Kling might be more your style.
5) ChatGPT Shopping Overview
Yep, ChatGPT can now help you shop. But unlike Amazon or Google Shopping, this version is totally ad-free and built for natural conversations.
What it does:
Recommends products based on your prompts.
Shows image carousels with features, reviews, and retailer links.
No ads. No commissions. Just suggestions.
How it works:
ChatGPT uses structured product data + your conversation history (if memory is on).
Over time, it can learn your preferences (e.g., always show size L or black clothing).
Comparison with Google Shopping:
Feature | ChatGPT Shopping | Google Shopping |
Listings | All organic | Organic + paid/sponsored |
Personalization | High (via memory + conversation) | Low (mostly based on keywords) |
Monetization | No ads, no affiliate links | Ad-driven |
Try this prompt:
"Find a 27-inch 4K monitor under $350 that ships within a week."
Then follow up with: “Only show ones with VESA mounts and USB-C.”
Want the details behind this rollout? Here’s the Reuters article.
Enjoying the deep dives?
If this breakdown saved you time (or gave you an idea to try), forward it to a friend. And if you’re not already subscribed:
👉 Join AI for Real Life so you don’t miss next week’s tools.
Catch you soon,
Khalil