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Luma Launches Uni-1.1 API With Built-In Prompt Intelligence and Lower Costs

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Luma, a creative AI company building high-fidelity media models, launched the Uni-1.1 API for production-scale video and image generation. The system integrates prompt enhancement and reference gathering into the API call, automating the context engineering (designing the information and instructions surrounding a model's input) usually required for high-quality outputs.
Features
Prompt enhancement, research, reference gathering
Training collaborators
Hollywood cinematographers and VFX artists
Price
<50% of comparable models
Latency
<50% of comparable models
Availability
Public API

This release shifts the focus from raw generation to economic viability. By claiming less than half the price and latency of comparable models, Luma is competing with Google's Veo 3.1 Lite. The model's aesthetic training with Hollywood cinematographers aims to provide professional-grade visual consistency for industrial-scale creative pipelines.

You can now integrate these cinematic capabilities into automated media workflows via the usage-based API. The system is designed for builders shipping in production who require lower latency than current frontier standards. Access is available immediately through the Luma platform for teams looking to scale video generation.

View the full update on lumalabs.ai
Luma
Luma
@LumaLabsAI
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The Uni-1.1 API is live today. Built-in prompt enhancement, research, and reference gathering at the API level. Trained in collaboration with Hollywood cinematographers, VFX artists, and world-class artists across cultural forms. Less than half the price and latency of https://t.co/wdBMvrml3E

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Still wondering? A few quick answers below.

The Uni-1.1 API is a developer-facing endpoint for Luma's latest foundation model, designed for high-fidelity video and image generation. It distinguishes itself by integrating intelligence directly into the API call, handling tasks like prompt expansion and reference gathering automatically. This allows builders to generate professional-grade creative assets without building complex context engineering layers themselves.

Unlike standard generation tools that require perfectly crafted inputs, the Uni-1.1 API features built-in prompt enhancement and research capabilities. When a developer sends a request, the system automatically refines the prompt and gathers relevant references at the API level. This integrated intelligence ensures that the resulting media maintains high aesthetic standards while reducing the manual effort required from users.

Luma has positioned the Uni-1.1 API as a highly efficient alternative for production-scale workflows. The company states that the API operates at less than half the price and latency of comparable frontier models. This aggressive economic model is intended to make high-volume video and image generation more accessible for developers who are shipping products in real-world environments.

To ensure professional-grade visual quality, Luma trained the Uni-1.1 model in direct collaboration with Hollywood cinematographers and VFX artists. The training process also included world-class artists across various cultural forms. This focus on cinematic pedigree aims to provide users with a higher level of aesthetic control and visual consistency compared to models trained on general internet data.

Yes, the Uni-1.1 API is live and available for developers to use today. It is designed specifically for builders who need to integrate high-quality generative media into their own applications or automated pipelines. Interested users can access the API through Luma's platform to begin building products that require fast, cost-effective, and aesthetically refined video or image generation.

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