Google's most advanced AI video models continue to dominate. VEO 3 made the splash when it was released on Google I/O in May. It boasts a huge sounding difference from other AI video generators. You can create sounds by syncing to the actions in your scene. And people are using it – over 40 million VEO 3 videos have been created over the past seven weeks, across a tool focused on new filmmakers called Gemini and Flow, Google said in a blog post Thursday.
Also, upgrades like the ones announced on Thursday mean that numbers are likely to increase. Google introduces new photo to video features through the Gemini app. This feature allows you to upload images you have taken or photos generated via images. Veo3 animates it. The prompts can explain the audio you need in the video, like a dialog. Image-to-video functionality is available on the web and on mobile throughout the week.
Even before these updates, VEO 3 users quickly shared impressive videos online. I spend a lot of time testing and reviewing AI, specifically image and video generators, and have seen enough slops and hallucinations to approach everything skeptical. However, after watching the video, I knew I had to jump in and put the VEO 3 in the test.
Without ruining anything, I'm off VEO and feel this is the next natural step for Google. However, there are serious limitations and nuisances I hope to deal with soon. This is how my experience went and what you need to know.
VEO 3 Availability, Pricing, Privacy
There are several different ways to access VEO 3. Unfortunately, all of them need to be paid in some way. VEO 3 is currently available through Google AI Pro, Google AI Ultra, Flow and Google Vertex.
Google recently expanded its access to the VEO 3 (VEO 3 Fast) version to Google AI Pro, a $20 per month plan. Pro users are restricted access to VEO 3. This is good if you just want to play. To get full access, you need Google AI Ultra. This is the latest and most expensive tier at $250 a month. (Currently, it's half off for three months at $125 a month.) Flow is Google's new, film-making-centric AI tool, available to those paying for Pro and Ultra subscribers. Vertex is Google's AI enterprise platform, and you can see if it is accessible.
According to Google's Gemini Privacy Policy, the company recommends not sharing sensitive information with Gemini, as it can collect information and improve its technology. I also agree to Google's prohibited usage policy. This prohibits the creation of abusive or illegal content.
My Wild Ride in VEO 3
The most impressive thing about VEO 3 is its new audio generation features. You don't need to tell the Gemini what you want to make a sound at the prompt. It will be added automatically. This is the first of its competitors such as Openai's Sora and Adobe's Firefly, giving Google a huge advantage.
AI audio is a great perk, but it's not perfect. If you are familiar with the somewhat clunky nature of AI-generated music and dialogue, you can quickly identify it. But there was a time when it flowed more naturally. The clashing metal sounds and groans in my alien battle scene were perfectly timed for their attacks. But instead of making those sounds, dinosaur-like aliens literally say “ro” and “hiss.”
My kayaker's paddling almost coincided with the sound of water sloshing. The natural vibe of that video is particularly lovely, adding a layer of depth that AI videos lack.
To give the Veo a challenge, I wanted an overlap sound in this beach bonfire party scene. What I got was fine, but nothing stopped. My dream beach bonfire party didn't sound like any party I've ever been to, but it's still relatively unissential in the first place.
Of course, the audio was great, but it doesn't take away the strange eccentricity that continues to bother the AI generator. I came across some hiccups. It's mostly people's faces, and it's notorious that AI imitates it. However, it appears that the new generation has made a real improvement, as Google claimed, compared to the obvious and obvious errors I encountered with VEO 2.
As I'm encountering hallucinations when testing AI images and video generators, the first thing I do is look for whether the service gives me the ability to edit it. VEO 3 does not offer any of these. This is a shame. Certainly, it's not very useful for professional creators who are used to more tweaking editing tools and need to make accurate adjustments to their projects. You can send a follow-up prompt to ask for specific changes. For example, I asked VEO to change the angle of the previous video and was able to see her face, which had the program handled well.
However, with VEO 3, you usually have to wait 3-5 minutes for a new edited video to load. VEO 3 has the longest generation of time among the AI video generators I have tested. However, adding audio to the video excuses a long wait in my eyes.
The worst part about VEO 3 is how quickly the daily generation limits hit. After just five videos, I was banned for the entire 24 hours. Josh Woodward, VP of Google's Gemini and Google Labs, said in a X/Twitter post that Ultra subscribers like me are the most common generations who reset daily with the regular Gemini app and Flow. And for me, the limits of Gemini were five videos. According to Woodward, the Flow limit is 125.
I reached out to Google to clarify what the daily limits ultra users will create through Gemini, as Woodward refers to. “Google AI Ultra subscribers will receive the highest level of access to VEO 3, the cutting edge video generation model that can be used in both the Gemini app and Flow.”
The limitation is another indication that this is not a tool aimed at professional creation and repetitive editing. You need to spend time thinking about creating prompts. If Google covers your face or glitches, your credits can run out quickly and become unlucky. VEO 3 is suitable for AI enthusiasts who want to dip their toes into video creation, not creators experimenting with AI.
Is VEO 3 worth the cost?
After gaining overwhelming experience with VEO 2, I have reserved what to expect from the usefulness and accuracy of VEO 3. However, the new model was impressive.
Let's be clear: there is no reasonable reason to use VEO 3 just to spend hundreds of dollars on Google AI Ultra Plan. If you want to dabble for fun, we recommend starting with the cheaper Google AI Pro plan or using hundreds of VEO 2 per month. Ultra Plan offers other features, including YouTube Premium, 30 terabytes of space and access to the latest Gemini models. So if you want these, yeah, pay with YO 3 and go play. But that's not worth it.
VEO 3 is not an innovative upgrade that will lead these social media posts to believe you. It's the next generation, better than last month's VEO 2, and shows true promise in Google's future AI video efforts. But if you want to try it, be prepared to pay.
See this: How to use Google's VEO3AI video generator: Helped me create this video
