Google Veo is coming to YouTube, bringing dynamic AI backgrounds to Shorts

YouTube has revealed several new features coming to its video platform, some of which -- unsurprisingly -- will be powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Most of the updates are geared toward content creators, but one in particular has the potential to impact viewers as well.

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The company said it will integrate Google's video AI generator, Veo, into Dream Screen.  An AI tool that launched last September, Dream Screen creates backgrounds for YouTube Shorts via text prompts. YouTube aims to grow the feature's capabilities, enabling the software to generate more engrossing backdrops.

In YouTube's blog post, a short reel demonstrates what the upgraded Dream Screen might look like in action. You could instruct the AI to generate a background displaying a "dreamlike secret garden" complete with "vivid colors [and] visible brushstrokes." It appears the content that Veo outputs covers a wide array of styles.

The samples showcase vastly different backgrounds. There's one of a creek, one with a ladybug, and an animation of a young girl. It's unknown if Veo requires specific inputs or if the AI automatically creates different background styles all on its own.

Veo will produce more than just backdrops for Shorts. YouTube said the AI model can make small six-second clips as B-roll in case your own footage is missing something. Every creation, YouTube added, "will be watermarked using SynthID" and have a label telling viewers that what they're looking at was made by AI. SynthID watermarks aren't visible to the naked eye, although they can be seen via special detection tools.

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The rest of the update is more for creators. For example, the platform is expanding its voice dubbing tool to more creators and expanding the number of supported languages. A select group gets the opportunity to try out an advanced version capable of capturing a people's tone and intonation.

Other notable features include a new Communities hub, a Hype system for "hyping up" videos on YouTube, and AI-generated video suggestions. If you're looking to start your own YouTube channel, check out ZDNET's list of the nine must-have gadgets for creating quality videos.