A hyper-realistic AI-generated video of an adult and a baby performing gravity-defying stunts has gone viral, alarming experts and viewers alike. The clip, created using Google’s Veo 3, shows just how convincing synthetic videos have become — and how they may threaten trust in online media.
Released in May 2025, Veo 3 can generate lifelike videos with detailed visuals, realistic physics, and natural audio. The technology is already being used to produce everything from comedy skits to fake news clips. While it opens new doors for creativity, it also raises serious concerns about misinformation.
Experts warn that tools like Veo 3 could be used to spread false political content or misleading narratives during elections. “The ability to create convincing fake videos with simple text prompts is a game-changer for misinformation,” said Julia Smakman, a researcher at the Ada Lovelace Institute.
One AI-generated video falsely showed a British news anchor reporting a yacht sinking, while another clip appeared to depict an election official shredding ballots. These types of videos, though fake, often go viral — sparking real-world confusion or outrage.
Google says it has added safety measures to Veo 3, including invisible watermarks (SynthID) and visible “Veo” tags to mark AI-generated content. But critics argue these measures are easy to bypass, especially as platforms strip metadata and users crop or alter videos.
A June 2025 report by TIME found Veo 3 still capable of producing troubling content, despite Google’s claims of built-in safeguards. The risk, experts say, is that bad actors could flood social media with fake videos designed to mislead or provoke.
The problem isn’t limited to politics. On TikTok, racist and antisemitic Veo 3-generated videos circulated in July, raising alarms about the spread of harmful content. Experts are calling for stronger regulation and better media literacy to help users spot fakes.
Veo 3 is currently available to U.S. users through the Gemini app’s Ultra tier and to enterprise users via Vertex AI. Broader rollout plans could expand its reach — and its impact — even further.
