On Thursday, YouTube unveiled a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature designed for creators on its platform. The video streaming service revealed that it is integrating Google’s Veo 2 AI model with its Dream Screen functionality. This enhancement will allow users to produce standalone AI-generated videos, in addition to its previous capability of generating video backgrounds using AI. The tool aims to assist creators by providing footage that may not be readily available or enabling them to manifest their creative visions.
YouTube Shorts Now Allows Users to Generate AI Videos
In a recent blog post, YouTube emphasized the incorporation of Google DeepMind’s advanced video generation model, Veo 2, into the Dream Screen feature. This integration allows users to create unique videos suitable for the YouTube Shorts platform, which the company introduced in 2020 as a short-format vertical video interface.
YouTube stated that this new feature is intended to facilitate the creation of footage that can be difficult to source. The tool operates as a text-to-video generator, enabling users to simply describe their vision and have the Veo 2 AI model produce the footage accordingly.
Veo 2, launched in December 2024 as the successor to the original Veo AI model, introduced significant enhancements in detail and realism in video generation. According to DeepMind at the time, Veo 2 demonstrated improved understanding of cinematography, including capabilities related to genres, lens types, cinematic effects, and camera movements.
To utilize the Veo 2 for video generation, users should access the Shorts camera, select Add to open the media picker, and then choose Create at the top. A text field will be available to input prompts, after which creators can select their preferred style, click Create video, and specify the desired length of their output.
To address concerns about deepfakes, YouTube announced that it will implement SynthID watermarks on all AI-generated video clips. Currently, this video generation feature is limited to users in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.
