Google reveals Veo, an AI video generator that could rival Sora

We knew it wouldn’t be long after OpenAI released Sora that other companies would be hot on its tail. Google’s DeepMind has just announced its own AI video generator called Veo. And it could certainly give Sora a run for its money.

The new AI video tool was showcased at Google I/O 2024 this week. Like Sora, it creates high-definition videos from simple text, images, or video instructions.

The tool can make videos in 1080p resolution lasting over a minute and can even edit videos based on written commands. However, Veo is not yet widely available for use.

Veo boasts features such as the ability to edit existing videos using text commands, ensure visual consistency across frames, and generate videos up to and beyond 60 seconds in length from a single prompt or a series of prompts forming a story. It can create detailed scenes and add cinematic effects like time lapses and aerial shots.

The launch of Veo follows the latest trend in AI development, with tools like these aiming to make image and video creation accessible to anyone who can write a description.

Google’s website showcases demo videos with scenes like a cowboy riding a horse or time-lapses of nature. However, the tool’s performance may vary, so we can’t trust yet whether the demos are consistent with the general quality of output.

OpenAI commissioned several creative directors and visual storytellers to try out Sora and show the world how good it is. It was genuinely impressive and not a little bit scary. The short film Air Head was particularly engaging. However, as the creators Shy Kids showed in their behind-the-scenes video, it took a lot more filmmaking knowledge and wizardry than just prompt engineering.

Google is currently working with actor Donald Glover’s studio to create an AI-generated demonstration film. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.

Interestingly, although Veo isn’t available for general public use yet, it will be available to select creators through VideoFX on Google’s AI Test Kitchen website. Google plans to integrate Veo’s features into YouTube Shorts and other products in the future.

To address privacy and copyright concerns, videos created with Veo are watermarked and subjected to safety filters. That will be immensely important during the 2024 US election year, as deep fakes are an ongoing concern.

[via Ars technica]

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