YouTube announced new artificial intelligence (AI) tools for its Shorts platform on Wednesday which utilises Google’s DeepMind video-generation model.
The new features, called Veo, will allow creators to add AI-generated backgrounds to their videos and create six-second video clips from written prompts.
Speaking at the “Made on YouTube” event in New York, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said, "Everything we introduced with AI is designed to enhance the creative process, making it faster and more efficient."
The Veo AI backgrounds will be an upgraded version of YouTube's earlier feature, Dream Screen, which was introduced in 2023. YouTube said the background feature will be available later this year, with the six-second AI video clips expected in 2025.
Additional AI-powered features were also announced, including tools within the YouTube Studio app that will help creators generate titles, thumbnails, and video ideas. These are set to be launched by the end of 2024.
While generative AI has opened up new opportunities for content creators, some are concerned about the risks of AI content flooding media platforms and violating intellectual property rights.
In response, YouTube noted that any AI-generated content will be clearly watermarked and labeled to indicate it was created by AI.
Mohan also emphasised the positive potential of AI in content creation, saying, “We really sit at the intersection of technology and creativity. Bringing those two together allows us to enhance human creativity.”