YouTube, a subsidiary of Google (GOOGL.US), introduces Veo AI tool to help creators innovate their content

YouTube, a subsidiary of Google (GOOGL.US), announced on Wednesday that it would introduce a series of advanced artificial intelligence features for creators on its Shorts platform, based on Google's DeepMind video generation model.

The newly launched Veo feature will provide convenience for creators to add virtual backgrounds to videos through artificial intelligence technology and generate independent 6-second video clips with simple text prompts.

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan expressed his expectations for the Veo feature at the Made on YouTube event in New York, believing it will help creators make short videos more efficiently with the help of AI.

Mohan emphasized that all AI features YouTube has introduced are to "really enhance your workflow, make it faster and more efficient, and get your creativity out there faster." The Veo's artificial background feature is an upgrade from the "Dream Screen" launched in 2023, and is expected to be released later this year, while the 6-second AI video clip feature is planned to debut in 2025.

In addition to Veo, YouTube also plans to add new features to its Studio app, including using AI to generate video titles, thumbnails, and creative content, which are expected to be released by the end of 2024.

Creators have been actively exploring how to leverage generative AI technologies. They have already started using the technology to insert clips into videos or create entirely AI-generated video content.

Despite this, some creators have expressed concerns about their videos being used to train the AI models behind Veo. Comedian Thomas Simmons, who has more than 15 million subscribers on YouTube, expressed his doubts: "I'm feeling complicated about all this AI stuff, and it's not giving me confidence and warmth."

Others are worried about potential issues with intellectual property protection and the proliferation of spam content generated by AI, which has already been seen on platforms like Facebook.

To address these concerns, YouTube said that all AI-generated content will be watermarked and labeled to indicate that it was created by AI.

Generative AI brings a new perspective to the creator economy, allowing creators to use tools that were previously only available to large language models for free. Mohan believes we are at the "intersection of technology and creativity," and said that everything YouTube does is to "augment human creativity."