Google is rolling out exciting new AI-powered features for both Google Photos and YouTube Shorts. Announced in a recent blog post, these updates bring innovative ways to enhance your media experience. Let’s dive into Google Photos first, which is introducing a new AI-driven feature that transforms still images into 6-second video clips. 
Powered by Google’s advanced Veo 2 video generation model, this feature allows you to turn static photos into dynamic videos.
Starting today, you can create these videos on both iOS and Android devices. After selecting a photo from your gallery, you can choose between two options: ‘Subtle movements’ or ‘I’m feeling lucky.’ Once your video is generated, you can easily share it with friends, family, or even colleagues.
In addition, Google is adding a Remix feature to Google Photos. Available soon in the U.S. for both Android and iOS, Remix allows you to select a photo from your gallery and transform it using one of four styles: anime, comics, sketches, or 3D animations. Ever wondered what your pug would look like as a comic book character? Now you can find out!
The new ‘Create’ tab in Google Photos serves as a hub for all these tools, including Photo to Video and Remix. You’ll also be able to create collages, highlight videos, and other fun projects. This tab will continuously update based on user feedback and will be available in the U.S. next month.
For added transparency, all AI-generated videos and photos in Google Photos, including those created with Photo to Video and Remix, will feature an invisible digital watermark from SynthID. This safety measure ensures that users can easily identify AI-generated content. Google is committed to improving these tools through feedback and red-teaming to prevent misuse.
In addition to Google Photos, YouTube Shorts is also getting AI enhancements. A new feature will let users transform images from their camera roll into videos. You can select an image, choose a creative suggestion, and Photo to Video will bring your photos to life by adding movement, animating everyday images, or even creating dynamic group photos. This feature is rolling out in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and will expand to more regions later this year.
Along with the new effects, YouTube Shorts now offers generative AI tools, allowing you to turn doodles into fun images, transform selfies into underwater shots, or create a twin look-alike pose. These effects are powered by Veo 2, with the upcoming Veo 3 set to improve capabilities even further later this summer.
Lastly, Google is introducing AI Playground in YouTube Shorts, a space for users to experiment with generative AI. With pre-filed prompts, you can quickly create images, videos, music, and more. These creations are clearly labeled with SynthID watermarks to indicate they were generated using AI. The AI Playground is available now in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.