Google has announced that Veo 2, its impressive AI video generation model, is now available for Gemini Advanced subscribers. Previously accessible only through Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform, Veo 2 offers a powerful tool for creating realistic video clips from text prompts. This move brings Gemini Advanced closer to feature parity with ChatGPT Plus, which integrated OpenAI’s Sora video model in December.
Gemini Advanced, Google’s $20 monthly subscription service, provides access to a suite of advanced AI models. With the addition of Veo 2, subscribers can now generate videos at 720p resolution with a maximum length of 8 seconds, delivered in 16:9 landscape format as an MP4 file. While this duration falls short of Sora’s 10-second capability, the ease of creation and accessibility provided by Gemini Advanced makes it a compelling option for creative exploration.
Veo 2 leverages Google’s vast video library, including content from YouTube, making it particularly adept at generating visually stunning and dreamlike sequences. While examples showcased by Google demonstrate impressive realism, with some resembling 3D animation, the technology’s limitations are apparent when attempting to generate realistic human figures, where results tend to fall short of perfect realism.
In conjunction with Veo 2’s release, Google is also introducing Whisk Animate for Google One AI Premium subscribers. This tool simplifies the process of generating and animating images using prompts, further enhancing the creative potential of AI video generation. Google One AI Premium, priced at $20 per month, includes both Gemini Advanced and additional Google One benefits like increased cloud storage, presenting a potentially more attractive package for users seeking broader functionality.
The potential for misuse of these powerful AI tools for creating misinformation is acknowledged by Google. To address this concern, all Veo 2 generated videos will be watermarked using Google’s SynthID, designed to identify AI-generated content. Google has also invested in extensive “red teaming” exercises to anticipate and mitigate potential misuse of Veo 2.
Despite safeguards, the inherent creativity and ingenuity of users will likely lead to unexpected and potentially unsettling creations. With Veo 2 now rolling out to Gemini Advanced subscribers, a surge of AI-generated video content across social media platforms is anticipated.
