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The competition between startups and big companies such as Google and Meta to offer compelling AI video creation tools has entered a new phase.
Luma AI, a startup founded by former Googlers and others, is dramatically expanding its Dream Machine AI video model with a new interface, mobile app and new image generation foundation model. The model, Luma Photon, combines personalization, efficiency and creative power to push the boundaries of image and video creation.
Now available on web and iOS, the new Dream Machine aims to blend simplicity and sophistication across input devices through a unified intuitive conversational interface.
With over 25 million registered users since its launch in June 2024, Dream Machine is evolving into a subscription-based service for both casual creators and professionals in industries such as fashion, marketing and filmmaking.
“We built Dream Machine as a visual thought partner, powered by a whole new image model called Luma Photon,” said Amit Jain, CEO and co-founder of Luma AI, during a video interview with VentureBeat. “It’s creative, intelligent, and designed for the people who build our world—designers, creators in fashion, media, and entertainment.”
A new approach to visual creation
Dream Machine aims to remove the complexity traditionally associated with creative tools. Users can simply describe their ideas in natural language or provide reference images to guide the platform’s outputs. Unlike traditional prompt engineering, which requires precise and technical input, Dream Machine is built for intuitive interaction.
“Unlike prompt engineering, where you have to carefully craft specific commands, Dream Machine lets you talk to it like you’re talking to a person. This conversational interface makes editing and creating intuitive,” Jain explained.
The platform’s new personalization features, including multi-image prompting and single-image character references, enable users to bring their visions to life with greater accuracy and detail. For instance, designers can upload textures, colors and other visual cues to guide the system’s outputs.
“With Dream Machine, you can give it reference images—colors, structures, or textures—and it will intelligently combine and iterate until you get exactly what you want. It’s a game-changer for designers and creatives,” Jain added.
New modes include a Brainstorm mode which allows users to apply different style influences to their imagery and video, as well as Boards of multiple images and videos that can be shared between team members and fellow creators, and “Concept Pills” that offer pre-set unified stylistic visuals users can apply to their video and image outputs.
Consistent characters from a single image
Luma AI envisions a future where visual creation is as seamless and accessible as typing text. Dream Machine bridges this gap, making advanced generative tools usable for everyone, from hobbyists to industry professionals.
“Why should creating images and videos be as hard as using Adobe’s tools? Imagine if making text was that difficult—there’d be no digital revolution. Visual thought should be just as accessible,” Jain argued.
Beyond accessibility, the platform introduces groundbreaking capabilities for video creation. Users can animate storylines with consistent characters derived from a single image, opening new doors for storytelling.
“You can now create infinite variations of a person from just one image. This consistency allows for entire storylines in videos with the same character—something that hasn’t existed in video creation until now,” Jain said.
New image generation model Photon
At the core of these advancements is Luma Photon, the company’s latest image foundation model, which generates high-quality still images from text prompts — and includes “state-of-the-art” embedded text, something many other image generation models still struggle to accomplish reliably.
Photon is built on Luma’s Universal Transformer architecture, which Luma says is eight times faster and more cost-efficient than comparable models.
This efficiency enables rapid iteration without sacrificing quality, making it ideal for high-demand use cases.
“Our new Photon model is the most creative and personalizable model available today. It adapts in real-time without training, using an advanced universal transform architecture,” Jain explained.
Developers can also harness the power of Photon through the Luma AI API, which supports text-to-image, text-to-video and image-to-video transformations. The API ensures privacy for user data and offers scalability for products built on its platform.
New subscription pricing
The updated Dream Machine is offered in four pricing tiers:
- Hobbyists: $9.99/month
- Explorers: $29.99/month
- Professionals: $99.99/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for large teams
These tiers provide flexibility for users with varying needs, whether they’re creating for personal projects or commercial ventures.
A new era of possibilities
Since its founding in 2021, Luma AI has raised $80M in funding from strategic investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Amplify Partners, Matrix Partners, General Catalyst, and South Park Commons.
Anjney Midha, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, highlighted the platform’s potential to power industries ranging from photorealistic video generation to interactive 3D worldbuilding.
As Dream Machine evolves, Luma AI is delivering on its mission to democratize creativity. “Dream Machine is where you come to visualize what’s in your head. It helps make sense of the increasingly complex world by leveraging AI’s ability to process and simplify vast amounts of information,” Jain concluded.
With its blend of accessibility, personalization, and cutting-edge technology, Dream Machine is poised to redefine how people create and share their ideas in the digital age.
Correction: this article originally misstated the amount Luma AI had raised and erroneously mentioned Amazon as an investor. The article has since been updated to the correct number and investor list.
