video Generation

Last updated: 17 Oct 2025

First impressions

There was a time when I was somewhat proud of myself for having kept up with the latest AI developments, and there would be a great feeling of satisfaction when I knew what to look for to catch AI generated videos. Most of these strategies are similar to how one would spot an AI image, with a few exceptions to do with how consistent the image stays over time. However, as much as I tried to explain to family and friends about how they should stay vigilant, it is becoming more difficult by the day.

The first time I realised that I couldn't tell the video I just watched was AI generated, I felt scammed. Honestly, there was no reason why I should have felt that way. The content was very interesting, I had no complaints about the quality of presentation, and even the overall style was quite enjoyable. Yet, I couldn't shake this feeling almost as if I donated $5 to an amazing street performance moments before finding out that it was actually a simple trick. Not a large sum of money, and at no great loss to anyone, but nonetheless not a great feeling. 

Here is an AI video generator you can play around with and try for yourself now. Flow by Google Labs completely free and all you need is a Google account. https://labs.google/flow/about

I gave it a very simple prompt on the Veo 3 fast model for testing and this is what I got:

A group of young male and female caucasians sitting around a table in a cozy games room having fun reading scripts out loud from printed sheets. 

At first glance, it is a very respectable representation of what I requested! The lighting looks natural, shadows follow movements in the right way, and it basically fits what I was expecting. Nothing immediately sticks out as being generated. Upon closer inspection you can find some gibberish on the board game boxes in the back, but you would really have to be looking for it at that point.

There is also an option to download an upscaled version with audio, but the signs begin to show once you enlarge it enough. In this version, the eyeballs are quite noticeable and the skin is unnaturally smooth. To be fair, the folding of the skin is fairly accurate, but the microtextures are clearly missing. Looking carefully at the sheets of paper will also reveal some strange movements and magical duplications. On that note, is it just me or does the page on the left look super long?

Either way, this is a realistic video synced with convincing sounds (including different voices and laughter), conveniently generated from just a single sentence. All this for free? I say there is not much to complain about.