Google is pushing AI video into ordinary life just as OpenAI pulls Sora back

Date:
Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Description:
Google has launched its AI Plus subscription in 35 countries, including the U.S., bundling enhanced AI tools, cloud storage, and video generation features.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Google Vids platform now includes Veo 3.1 AI video and Lyria 3 AI music models, among other upgrades The update is designed to make AI video creation easier and more useful for ordinary people The investment in Vids comes as OpenAI pulls back from Soras consumer-facing AI video platform Sora's abrupt vanishing trick has made plenty of people wonder about the future of AI video production. Nonetheless, Google is doubling down on the idea with a set of major upgrades to Google Vids, its browser-based AI video creation toolkit. Once aimed more at business and enterprise services, the latest batch of updates is pitched right at the average dabbler in AI production.

The most notable addition is Veo 3.1, Googles latest video generation model, now built directly into Vids. Anyone with a Google account can generate AI video clips at no cost, with ten generations per month included for personal users. Google pitches it as a way to make animated flyers for parties, greeting cards, or other fun projects. Note that it is not supposed to be a way of making some cinematic masterpiece. For most people, Veo 3.1 is less interesting as a feat of machine creativity than as a shortcut. If you want a cheerful clip to open a family slideshow, a visual for a school project, or a quick social post for something you are promoting on the side, the hardest part is often not having the idea. It is making the thing look like more than an elaborate PowerPoint. Article continues below You may like Googles affordable AI Plus subscription lands in U.S. Sora is gone but these 3 AI video tools are already replacing it How does AI video slop get made? I think I finally found out Google Vids: Generate Videos with Veo 3.1 - YouTube Watch On Sing-along AI Google Vids: Generate custom music with Lyria 3 - YouTube Watch On The same goes for AI-produced music. Google Vids is integrating the Lyria 3 and Lyria 3 Pro models, though they aren't quite as available as Veo 3.1. Only Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can use them to generate custom soundtracks ranging from 30-second clips to three-minute tracks.

Unless you have a talent for composition or music editing, the audio addition is more than a small flourish. Plenty of homemade videos are ruined by the soundtrack, even if the visuals are great. A slightly sentimental family montage can survive mediocre transitions. It cannot survive a bad
royalty-free ukulele track.

Vids also employs AI to make the look and sound of its "avatars." These customizable digital characters can be directed to behave however you wish in a video while maintaining a consistent look and voice across scenes. You can ask the AI models to adjust their settings, outfits, and even the props they interact with by typing out your request.

It's also arguably the feature deepest in the uncanny valley. But, if you're okay with that, it's also a clear example of Google trying to make AI media creation feel like just another software tool and not just a novelty. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Exit Sora, enter Veo for everyone While OpenAI may be stepping back from the idea that everyday users want a separate destination just for AI-generated video experiments. Googles move suggests the company thinks people might very much want AI video features embedded inside a bigger platform.

Google is also scaling this aggressively. AI Ultra and Workspace AI Ultra users can now generate up to 1,000 Veo videos per month, which is not a
casual side feature number. That is we think this is becoming part of how people work and create now territory.

And that is really the larger story here. Google is not just adding AI bells and whistles to a video app because they're making a specific bet about what the average person actually wants from these tools. Not a standalone playground for abstract generative experiments, but a set of embedded
features that help turn everyday moments into finished, shareable things with less effort.

That may also explain why this update feels better timed than it first appears. If OpenAIs consumer retreat from Sora suggests that AI video as a destination was a harder sell than expected, Googles approach points to a
more sustainable version of the category. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/google-is-pushing-ai-video-i nto-ordinary-life-just-as-openai-pulls-sora-back


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