YouTube Unveils AI Tools To Animate Your Shorts Content

YouTube is revolutionizing its Shorts platform by launching a powerful set of generative AI tools. These new features are designed to make creating dynamic and engaging content quicker and more intuitive for everyone.

Turn Static Photos into Dynamic Videos

The standout feature in this update is the new image-to-video tool. Now, you can take any photo from your camera roll and instantly convert it into a six-second animated Short. The AI intelligently suggests animations based on your photo's content.

For instance, a simple landscape shot might gain a gentle breeze effect, a group selfie could become animated, or an everyday object could be magically brought to life. In a striking example, YouTube showcased the tool transforming a static pedestrian signal into a fun clip where the walk icon starts dancing.

This technology, similar to features in Google’s Gemini and Meta’s Edits app, is being rolled out this week in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with more countries to follow later this year.

Explore New Creative AI Effects

YouTube isn't stopping there. The platform is also introducing a new collection of AI-powered effects. These tools allow you to completely reimagine your selfies and video clips.

You can experiment with sketch-to-art transformations, apply immersive underwater animations, or create surreal twinning sequences. To try them out, simply tap the “Effects” icon in the Shorts camera and look for the new “AI” tab.

The Technology Powering the Magic

All these new creative capabilities are driven by Veo 2, Google's state-of-the-art video generation model. To maintain transparency, YouTube has confirmed that content created with these tools will include SynthID watermarks and clear labels, ensuring viewers know when they are watching AI-generated content.

This rollout follows the announcement at Cannes Lions 2025 by YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, who also teased the upcoming Veo 3 model. This next-generation tool will add generative audio, and is expected to arrive on Shorts later this summer.

Experiment in the AI Playground

To help creators get started, YouTube has launched the AI Playground. This new hub is a space for testing out generative tools, discovering inspiration, and playing with pre-filled prompts to see what the AI can do. You can access it by tapping the “Create” button and then the sparkle icon in the top-right corner of the app.