YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has announced Google will integrate its latest AI-powered video generation model, Veo 3, into YouTube Shorts later this summer.
The tool will allow users to create short-form videos entirely from text prompts, significantly lowering the barrier to content creation.
Mohan introduced the update during Cannes Lions 2025 event, describing Veo 3 as a means of empowering storytellers and democratising content production.
“The possibilities with AI are limitless,” Mohan said, noting that the feature could help “anyone with a voice” reach an audience and build a brand.
YouTube is plugging Veo 3 AI videos directly into Shorts https://t.co/9woUxbsGW7
— The Verge (@verge) June 18, 2025
Veo 3 marks a major evolution from Google’s earlier Dream Screen initiative, which allowed users to generate backgrounds using AI. The new model goes further, producing complete videos — with both visuals and audio — from a few lines of written input.
The update comes as more than a quarter of YouTube Partner Programme creators now earn income from Shorts.
However, Veo 3’s rollout has prompted debate over how the platform will balance innovation with content quality and creator sustainability.
Critics have raised concerns over the increasing prevalence of AI-generated content, which some have dubbed “AI slop.”
These concerns include the potential for misinformation, declining originality, and the rise of deepfakes or low-quality spam that could crowd out human-made videos.
In response, YouTube is developing a likeness protection tool in collaboration with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and content creators. The aim is to safeguard public figures from unauthorised replication via AI.
For advertisers and brands, the integration offers a new way to produce targeted video campaigns without requiring costly production resources.
However, the surge in automated content may also make it harder for individual campaigns to stand out.
While Veo 3 expands access to video creation, it may also intensify competition for visibility on the platform. Traditional creators may feel squeezed as algorithmic systems prioritise AI-generated Shorts — or may choose to shift their efforts elsewhere.
YouTube and Google Labs continue to refine the feature as part of the broader Gemini AI ecosystem, which includes experimental tools like Search Live and Gemini Live.
Veo 3’s inclusion in Shorts signals a wider push to bring generative AI into the hands of mainstream users.
The company has yet to confirm a global release date beyond its initial US rollout.
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