# Attention of a Kiss: Exploring Attention Maps in Video Diffusion for XAIxArts

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.05323 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.05323/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in Video generation, one of 14 directions in Diffusion models.
- Builds on 9 of its 17 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 30 Aug 2025.

## Placed in

- Diffusion models / [Video generation](https://mlsanity.com/diffusion/video-generation/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 9 of 9)

- [Attention Is All You Need](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.03762/) (2017)
- [Wan: Open and Advanced Large-Scale Video Generative Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.20314/) (2025)
- [Towards Accurate Generative Models of Video: A New Metric & Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1812.01717/) (2018)
- [Quantifying Attention Flow in Transformers](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.00928/) (2020)
- [Transformer Interpretability Beyond Attention Visualization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2012.09838/) (2020)
- [Interpretable Machine Learning: Fundamental Principles and 10 Grand Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.11251/) (2021)
- [What the DAAM: Interpreting Stable Diffusion Using Cross Attention](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.04885/) (2022)
- [Analysis of Attention in Video Diffusion Transformers](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.10317/) (2025)
- [XAIxArts Manifesto: Explainable AI for the Arts](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.21220/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

This paper presents an artistic and technical investigation into the attention mechanisms of video diffusion transformers. Inspired by early video artists who manipulated analog video signals to create new visual aesthetics, this study proposes a method for extracting and visualizing cross-attention maps in generative video models. Built on the open-source Wan model, our tool provides an interpretable window into the temporal and spatial behavior of attention in text-to-video generation. Through exploratory probes and an artistic case study, we examine the potential of attention maps as both analytical tools and raw artistic material. This work contributes to the growing field of Explainable AI for the Arts (XAIxArts), inviting artists to reclaim the inner workings of AI as a creative medium.