Katarzyna Petru
Google has just made a move that was inevitable. The Veo 3.1 model update introduces native support for vertical video 9:16, a format created for YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels. No fuss, no cropping, no loss of quality. AI is finally generating video exactly in the format in which it is consumed today. This is a clear signal that Google is no longer treating short forms of video as an add-on. Now they are the starting point.
End of Cropped Images
Until now, creating AI video for shorts has been a compromise. The models generated landscape images that then had to be cropped or artificially scaled. The result? Loss of details, poorly framed subjects, and chaos in composition. Veo 3.1 now allows you to choose the 9:16 format right from the start. The video is designed vertically from the first frame, with the smartphone screen in mind. Google is integrating this feature directly with YouTube Shorts and the YouTube Create app, clearly showing where the company sees the future of video.
Reference images finally work as they should
The biggest change, however, does not concern the format itself, but rather the quality of generation from reference images. Google has clearly improved the expression of characters, their movements, and facial expressions. Even shorter, less detailed prompts now yield a more natural effect.
The model maintains better consistency with characters, objects, and backgrounds. The issue of "floating" faces, changing clothes, or disjointed details between shots has disappeared. Moreover, Veo 3.1 allows for the mixing of different characters, textures, objects, and environments into one visually coherent clip. These are no longer random animations – it’s starting to resemble real editing.
1080p and 4K. AI Stops Looking Like AI
The new update also brings better image scaling to 1080p and 4K. This is crucial, as until now, much AI video looked good only in a small window. When enlarged, artefacts, blurriness, and lack of detail were noticeable. Now Veo 3.1 is set to generate content that is suitable not only for shorts but also for professional video projects. This is a huge change for creators, marketers, and production studios that want to use AI as a real tool, not just a novelty.
Availability. Google is Focusing on the Ecosystem
New features can be accessed directly in the Gemini app. Professional users will receive them in Google Flow, via the Gemini API, Vertex AI, and Google Vids in the Google Cloud. This is Google's classic strategy – one model, many entry points. From an amateur making shorts on their phone to a company producing videos at scale.
AI video enters the user phase
This update shows one thing: AI-generated video is no longer an experiment. Google is adapting Veo 3.1 not to the vision of filmmakers but to the real habits of viewers. Vertical video, quick consumption, social media, image consistency, and quality that is sufficient not to be jarring.
AI will not yet replace creators. But it has just begun to speak their language.
