YouTube to Bring Google’s Veo 3 AI Video Generator to Shorts

YouTube is preparing to introduce Google’s most advanced AI video generator, Veo 3, to its Shorts platform later this summer. The announcement was made by YouTube CEO Neal Mohan during his keynote at the Cannes Lions festival, highlighting a significant leap in AI-powered content creation for the platform.

Veo 3 is designed to generate complete videos—including both visuals and sound—entirely from text prompts. This marks a major upgrade from the earlier version of Veo, which is currently used for YouTube’s Dream Screen feature that creates AI-generated backgrounds for Shorts. With Veo 3, creators will be able to produce entire Shorts videos “from scratch” simply by describing what they want to see and hear.

Mohan emphasized the transformative potential of AI for creators, stating that these new tools will “push the limits of human creativity.” He predicted that creators will continue to reshape video formats, blend genres, and play an even bigger role in mainstream culture over the next two decades, all while using advanced AI to expand the possibilities of storytelling.

Shorts has become a central focus for YouTube, now averaging over 200 billion daily views as it competes with platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. The integration of Veo 3 is expected to unlock new creative avenues for the vast community of Shorts creators, making high-quality content production faster and more accessible.

To address concerns about potential misuse of AI, such as deepfakes or unauthorized use of likenesses, YouTube is collaborating with talent agencies and prominent creators to develop tools that allow public figures to manage their presence on the platform. Videos generated by Veo 3 have already gained attention online, with viral clips featuring historical and fictional characters reimagined as modern-day personalities.

While the move is expected to fuel a wave of creativity, it has also sparked debate about the risk of low-quality, AI-generated content flooding the platform. Some see this as a democratizing force that allows anyone to turn their ideas into videos, while others worry about the potential decline in authentic, human-made content.

YouTube’s rollout of Veo 3 for Shorts is set to begin later this summer, with more details about access and monetization expected to be announced closer to launch.