Google introduces Veo 2 and Imagen 3 for AI video and image

Google announces new versions of its generative models aimed at closing the gap between ideas and audiovisual production. Veo 2 improves video generation with better understanding of cinematography and realistic physics, while Imagen 3 sharpens color, composition and styles in images. The original note was published by Google DeepMind on December 16, 2024. (deepmind.google)

Veo 2: video with a director’s eye

Veo 2 is the new version of Google DeepMind’s video generator. According to their announcement, it produces high-quality videos, understands human motion and physics better than previous versions, and responds to film-like directions such as lens type and camera effects. It can generate up to 4K resolution and handles clips that extend for minutes. (deepmind.google)

Practical question: do you want a top-down shot, a close-up with shallow focus, or a low-side tracking shot? Just write it in the prompt and Veo 2 will try to respect it. Immediate uses: backgrounds for Shorts, product demos, storyboards for film, or ad prototypes. (deepmind.google)

Useful technical tidbit

If you include 18mm lens in your prompt or ask for shallow depth of field, the model interprets those cinematography conventions and adjusts composition and field of view accordingly. This is great if you already work with audiovisual language and want style control without editing frame by frame. (deepmind.google)

Imagen 3: brighter images, closer to your prompt

Imagen 3 brings improvements in brightness, composition and a wider range of artistic styles. Google says it now follows instructions more closely and represents textures and richer details, from photorealism to styles like impressionism or anime. The update is rolling out in ImageFX and will be deployed in over 100 countries. (deepmind.google)

What does that mean day-to-day? For creators and design teams, prompts should produce results closer to your original intent with fewer iterations. A concrete example: ask for a train-station scene at sunrise with diffuse light and you’ll get better handling of lighting and composition. (deepmind.google)

Whisk: mix images and prompts to prototype ideas

Whisk is Google Labs’ new experiment that lets you upload images, which Gemini then describes automatically and feeds back into Imagen 3 for creative remixes. It’s designed for rapid prototyping of visual products like pins, stickers, or digital characters. Whisk launched initially in the United States. (deepmind.google)

Availability and safety measures

These technologies are arriving first in Google Labs tools: VideoFX, ImageFX and Whisk. Google also mentions plans to integrate Veo 2 into YouTube Shorts and into Vertex AI for enterprise customers. To mitigate misuse, generated images and videos include an invisible watermark called SynthID to help identify AI-created content. Access is expanding gradually to evaluate quality and safety. (deepmind.google)

What this means for you, creator or entrepreneur

• If you make videos for social, this speeds up visual idea creation without renting expensive gear. Think prototypes that used to need a set and post-production.
• If you design products or marketing materials, Imagen 3 and Whisk let you iterate visual styles faster and with fewer middlemen.
• For companies, integration with Vertex AI suggests more professional, scalable workflows and better control. (deepmind.google)

Practical tips for using these tools today

1. Write prompts that include style, lens, and mood: for example, specify wide angle 18mm, golden hour and warm color grading for more coherent results.
2. Check for the SynthID watermark and metadata if you’re publishing on channels where provenance matters.
3. Use these tools to iterate ideas, not as a final automatic solution; human review is still key for narrative coherence and rights.

Risks and open questions

The realism improvements reduce some common errors like extra hands or artifacts, but they don’t eliminate them entirely. There are risks of misinformation and unauthorized use of styles or identities. Google says it will roll out features gradually with safety controls, but it’s wise to keep verification and ethics checks in your creative workflow. (deepmind.google)

To try the tools, visit Google Labs: VideoFX, ImageFX and Whisk. If you work with sensitive or commercial content, consider adding human reviews and legal checks before publishing. (deepmind.google)

AI moves fast, but its real usefulness appears when you combine it with human judgment. What project could you prototype today if you didn’t need a full film set?