AI video generation tools have advanced at a shockingly swift pace. Just a year ago, AI-generated footage like the infamous "Will Smith eats spaghetti" clip still looked quite unconvincing. We all thought it would be a long untill A.I. would disrupt the video making industry. But new models like OpenAI's Sora can now synthesize complex video that often passes initial scrutiny and infact create photorealistic videos just from text.
Check out these videos created by Sora AI:
Sora videos showcase sophisticated graphics with accurate lighting, reflections, textures, physics and motion. Examples include realistic cloth movement on a woman walking down a neon Tokyo street, dynamic fur responding to snow on golden retriever puppies at play, and smooth camera work on an SUV speeding up a dirt road. Skin tones, shadows, and environmental details look impressively natural.
While some imperfections remain visible on close inspection, these AI-generated videos already appear credible enough for usable stock footage. The outputs are now credible enough to enable creators to forego licensing stock footage or hiring videographers. At this pace of advancement, they may soon fully synthesize needed video assets through text prompts alone.
Two years ago, Open AI's Chat GPT took the world by a storm, affecting every profession, except the video production industry. Now it's latest product Sora has economic implications that are highly disruptive especially for the video making industry. Demand for original human-filmed video footage and the professionals involved in its production may take a substantial hit. A host of videography fields from cinematographers to drone operators could see reduced work opportunities and falling wages in the future.
Ad agencies face an equally ominous disruption in the demand for their licensed clips. Why pay thousands of dollars for a video clip that an AI model can generate to suit your needs? The text prompts allow customization that pre-existing clips do not. We could soon see a rush of creators flocking to AI tools over traditional stock image and video marketplaces.
But, humans have a knack for finding new opportunities. While many face a challenging adjustment, this technology will also unlock new levels of creativity that help society as a whole. When one door closes, others open. Maintaining an open and proactive mindset is key.
Thank you,
Yash Ponnaganti.