Google's most advanced AI video model continues to be dominant. Veo 3 made a splash when it was released at Google I/O in May, boasting one big, audible difference from other AI video generators: It can create sound, synchronized to a scene's action. And people have been taking advantage of it -- more than 40 million Veo 3 videos have been created in the last seven weeks, across Gemini and its new filmmaker-focused tool called Flow, Google said in a blog post on Thursday.
Upgrades like the ones also announced Thursday mean that number will likely only increase. Google is introducing a new photo-to-video capability through the Gemini app. With the feature, you can upload a picture you took, or one you generated through Imagen, and Veo 3 will animate it. In your prompt, you can describe the audio you want in the video, like dialogue. The image-to-video capability is rolling out now on the web and throughout the week on mobile.
Even before these updates, Veo 3 users were quick to share their impressive-looking videos online. I spend a lot of time testing and reviewing AI, specifically image and video generators, and I've seen enough slop and hallucinations to approach it all with skepticism. But after seeing the videos, I knew I had to dive in and put Veo 3 to the test.
Without spoiling anything, I walked away from Veo feeling like this was the next natural step for Google, with one feature in particular giving the company an edge that might make it a more serious contender in the AI creative space. But there are serious limits and annoyances that I hope are addressed soon. Here's how my experience went and what you need to know.
Veo 3 availability, pricing and privacy
There are a couple of different ways to access Veo 3. Unfortunately, all of them will require you to pay up in some way. Veo 3 is currently available through Google AI Pro, Google AI Ultra, Flow and Google Vertex.
Google recently expanded access to a version of Veo 3 (Veo 3 fast) to its cheaper $20 per month plan, Google AI Pro. Pro users get limited access to Veo 3, which is good if you just want to play around with it. To get full access, you'll need Google AI Ultra -- the newest, priciest tier at $250 per month. (It's currently half off for $125 per month for three months.) Flow is Google's new filmmaking-focused AI tool, available for those paying Pro and Ultra subscribers. Vertex is Google's AI enterprise platform, and you'll know if you have access to it.
Google's Gemini privacy policy says the company can collect your info to improve its technologies, which is why it recommends not sharing any confidential information with Gemini. You also agree to Google's prohibited use policy, which outlaws the creation of abusive or illegal content.
My wild ride with Veo 3
The most impressive thing about Veo 3 is its new audio generation capabilities. You don't have to tell Gemini in your prompt that you want sound; it will automatically add it. This is a first among competitors like OpenAI's Sora and Adobe's Firefly and it certainly gives Google a huge edge.
While the AI audio is a nice perk, it isn't perfect. If you're familiar with the somewhat clunky nature of AI-generated music and dialogue, you'll be able to identify it immediately. But there were times when it flowed more naturally. The clashing metal sounds and grunts in my alien fight scene were timed perfectly to their attacks, something that would've been difficult to add on my own afterward. But the dinosaur-like aliens also literally say "roar" and "hiss" instead of making those noises.
My kayaker's paddling very nearly matched up with the water sloshing sound. The nature ambience in that video was particularly lovely and added a layer of depth that's been missing from AI videos.
To give Veo a challenge, I wanted overlapping sound in this beach bonfire party scene. What I got was fine, but nothing show stopping. My dream beach bonfire partiers didn't sound like any party I've ever been to, but still, points for being first and relatively unproblematic.
Of course, while the audio was nice, it doesn't take away from the weird eccentricities that continue to plague AI generators. I ran into a few hiccups, mostly with people's faces, a notoriously hard thing for AI to mimic. But compared to the glaringly obvious errors I ran into with Veo 2, the new generation does appear to have made real improvements as Google claimed it did.
I run into hallucinations a lot when I'm testing AI image and video generators, so the first thing I do is look for whether a service gives me the ability to edit it. Veo 3 doesn't offer any of these, which is a bummer. It's certainly something that's going to make it less useful for professional creators, who are used to more fine-tuning editing tools and need to make precise tweaks for their projects. You can send a follow-up prompt asking for specific changes. For example, I asked Veo to change the angle in the previous video so I could see her face, which the program handled well.
With Veo 3, you'll typically have to wait 3 to 5 minutes for a new, edited video to load, though. Veo 3 has the longest generation time of any AI video generator I've tested. But the addition of audio to the videos excuses the longer wait time in my eyes.
The worst part of Veo 3 is how quickly I hit my daily generation limit. After only five videos, I was barred for an entire 24-hour period -- something that really annoyed me and made it much harder to assess. Google's VP of Gemini and Google Labs, Josh Woodward, said in a post on X/Twitter that Ultra subscribers like me have the highest number of generations that reset daily, in the regular Gemini app and in Flow. And for me, that limit in Gemini was five videos. Flow's limit is 125, according to Woodward.
I reached out to Google to get clarity on what the daily limit is for Ultra users creating through Gemini that Woodward mentions. Here's the response: "Google AI Ultra subscribers get the highest level of access to Veo 3, our state-of-the-art video generation model, which they can use in both the Gemini app and Flow, our new AI filmmaking tool."
The limits are another sign that this isn't a tool meant for professional creation and iterative editing. You need to spend time thoughtfully crafting your prompt and if Google flubs a face or glitches, you're likely to run out of credits fast and end up out of luck. Veo 3 is better suited for AI enthusiasts who want to dip their toes in video creation, not creators experimenting with AI.
Is Veo 3 worth the cost?
After an underwhelming experience with Veo 2, I had reservations about what to expect in the usefulness and accuracy of Veo 3. But the new model was impressive, the audio especially, even though it's still missing some key features.
Let me be clear: There is no rational reason to spend hundreds of dollars on a Google AI Ultra plan only to use Veo 3. If you want to dabble for fun, I recommend starting with the cheaper Google AI Pro plan, or use Veo 2 for hundreds less per month. The Ultra plan does offer other features, like YouTube Premium, 30 terabytes of space and access to the newest Gemini models. So if you want any of those things, then, yeah, pay up and go play around with Veo 3. But it's not worth it on its own.
Veo 3 isn't the revolutionary upgrade those social media posts might lead you to believe. It's the next generation, better than last month's Veo 2, and it shows real promise in Google's future AI video endeavors. But be prepared to pay up if you want to try it out.
Watch this: How to Use Google's Veo 3 AI Video Generator: It Helped Me Produce This Video
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