Google confirmed it is tapping YouTube's vault of 20 billion videos to train flagship models including Gemini and video generator Veo 3. While creators can opt out of third-party AI scraping, they have no way to stop Google from using their uploads. It underscores a growing flashpoint: creators unwittingly training commercial tools that could one day replace them.
Runway just rolled out Chat Mode, letting creators generate both images and videos inside a single conversational interface. The feature handles everything from initial ideation to continuous iteration. Basically, you no longer have to jump between separate tools just to turn text ideas into finished visuals and motion clips.
Midjourney just launched V1, its first-ever video generation model. Available exclusively on the web, the tool turns any still image into four 5-second clips that can be extended up to 20 seconds. It carries over the company's trademark aesthetic at a claimed 25x lower cost than rivals, though it is currently image-to-video only and lacks native audio.
YouTube just announced it will integrate Google's flagship Veo 3 AI video generator into YouTube Shorts later this summer. The platform previously relied on an older Veo model for background generation, but Veo 3 brings significant upgrades directly to mobile creators. With Shorts averaging over 200 billion daily views, YouTube is betting big on generative video to beat TikTok and Reels.
Canva just introduced Create a Video Clip, bringing Google's Veo 3 model straight into its design workspace. Users can now generate 8-second cinematic video clips with synchronized audio from a single text prompt, then immediately tweak them in the Canva editor. Paid subscribers get an initial quota of five video generations per month.
MiniMax just launched Hailuo 02, its new video generation model capable of tackling intricate movements like gymnastics. Built on a new NCR architecture, it triples model parameters and quadruples training data while boosting efficiency by 2.5x to offer native 1080p outputs. Why it matters: High-end video generation is getting physically coherent without breaking the bank.
Baidu just launched an e-commerce livestream featuring top host Luo Yonghao's digital avatar, powered by its ERNIE foundation model. It was the first livestream to feature two digital avatars co-hosting and interacting in real time. The 6+ hour stream pulled in over 13 million views and generated more than 55 million RMB in GMV.
Adobe just launched its Firefly generative AI app on iPhone and Android, bringing text-to-image, text-to-video, and Generative Fill to mobile devices. The app even lets users tap into third-party models like Google's Imagen and Veo, with all projects automatically syncing back to Creative Cloud desktop and web workflows.
Max just launched dynamic video previews on its homepage for U.S. connected TV devices. In the coming weeks, it's deploying a new in-house AI tool to scan its vast catalog and suggest recognizable "Drop-In Moments" for preview reels, cutting down the tedious manual work of hand-picking clips.
TikTok just expanded its Symphony AI suite with text-to-video and image-to-video tools that turn static product shots into five-second branded clips. Instead of keeping the tech locked inside its own app, TikTok is integrating the features directly into Adobe Express and WPP Open, giving agency creatives an automated shortcut for ad production.
Google DeepMind just premiered its first AI-assisted short film, "ANCESTRA," in collaboration with director Darren Aronofsky's Primordial Soup at the Tribeca Festival. The crew paired live-action scenes with the Veo video model, using new motion-matching and object-insertion tools to blend an AI-generated newborn directly into real footage. It marks a big step toward making generative video usable in real Hollywood pipelines.
SAG-AFTRA just revealed terms of its tentative video game contract after a 320-day strike over generative AI. Studios must now secure informed consent before cloning a performer's voice or likeness, and using a digital replica for real-time AI chatbots pays at least 7.5 times the minimum rate. Why it matters: It sets the first hard compensation floor on real-time interactive AI clones in gaming.
Betting platform Kalshi just ran a fully AI-generated TV ad during the NBA Finals that cost a mere $2,000 to produce. Created by a solo filmmaker using Google's Veo 3 and Gemini in just two to three days, the project claims a 95% cost reduction compared to traditional commercial production.
Microsoft just added transcript-based video editing to Clipchamp, letting you cut footage simply by deleting words from an AI-generated transcript. It replaces the tedious timeline scrubbing for podcasts and meetings, automatically trimming the video when dialogue is removed. The feature is currently rolling out to work accounts first, with personal accounts coming soon.
Meta just rolled out generative AI video editing across the Meta AI app, Meta.AI website, and Edits app. Users in the US and over a dozen countries can choose from over 50 preset prompts to transform 10 seconds of video into comic styles or video games for free. Meta says the tool was inspired by its Movie Gen research, with custom text prompts coming later this year.
Google just launched Veo 3 Fast inside the Gemini app and its Flow filmmaking tool. The new model doubles generation speeds while keeping the same 720p resolution, alongside server optimizations to handle massive traffic. Why it matters: Faster turnarounds make rapid prompt iteration much less painful for video creators.
Higgsfield AI just introduced Higgsfield Speak, a new tool built to create motion-driven talking videos quickly. Users pick a style, select an avatar, and type in a script, while the platform automatically generates cinematic motion, voiceover, and facial emotion.
HeyGen just rolled out a major update to Avatar IV, adding script-driven dynamic gestures and hyper-real micro-expressions to its digital avatars. Users can now direct body movements directly via prompts in 1080p clips up to 60 seconds long. The feature is already available across all HeyGen accounts.
Luma AI just launched Modify Video, a video-to-video editing tool inside Dream Machine: Ray 2 that reimagines backgrounds, lighting, and characters while locking down original motion, facial expressions, and camera paths. In blind evaluations, Luma claims it consistently beats Runway V2V on temporal consistency and motion retention. It is a huge shortcut for creators who want rapid iterations without reshooting from scratch.
Runway just partnered with AMC Networks, the studio behind Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead, to integrate its AI tools into marketing and TV development. AMC plans to use Runway's models for promotional campaigns, VFX ideation, and accelerating pre-visualization during series creation. Why it matters: Entertainment powerhouses are actively embedding generative video tools straight into their core production pipelines.
