At the moment, generative AI tools like ChatGPT are making huge waves. They’re dazzling people with their capacity to create anything from working programming code to convincing college essays.
But can they take over video editing as well?
Video creators know that editing their content takes up tons of time – as much as 1 hour per finished minute of video.
Consequently, many outsource editing to professional freelancers or video editing companies to free up their time and level up their creative output.
But with the rapidly increasing capabilities of AI, do creators even still need human video editors?
Here’s a closer look at what AI video editing is – and what it can and can’t do in 2023.
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What is AI video editing?
AI video editing harnesses artificial intelligence to automate some parts of the video editing process. How much is automated depends on the tool you’re using.
Some professional video editing software packages already come with AI capabilities to help editors save time on routine tasks.
For instance, Adobe Premiere Pro leverages Adobe Sensei, a machine learning (ML) and AI application that allows users to automate processes, from morph cuts to auto-reframes, across the entire Creative Cloud suite. We’ll talk a little more about that below.
Other AI video editors offer even more comprehensive functionalities. Some even allow users to generate an entire explainer video complete with AI presenters without having to film a single second of footage themselves. We’ll also mention one of these services farther down.
In most cases, though, AI video editors just provide ML support for tasks that would usually take a lot of time and skill to complete. As a result, they make video editing more accessible and speed up the entire process.
As time goes by, we expect we’ll see more and more AI features even in otherwise basic editors, especially in online software.
What AI video editors are there?
So what AI editors are there?
We already mentioned the AI capabilities of Adobe Premiere Pro, using Adobe Sensei above. Let’s take a look at a couple of examples of what this AI-supported editing software can do.
One application of AI in Premiere are content-aware fills. Say you have a piece of footage and you want to edit out an object. Using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), the same technology deepfakes use, AI can easily do this for you.
Another example is re-framing clips from horizontal to vertical. With vertical-first channels like YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok booming, this is a challenge most content creators will face sooner rather than later. AI-supported auto-reframe can easily handle the transition. Without losing any of the action.
Another AI video editor, in this case a cloud-based platform, is GliaStudio. This solution allows users to either upload footage or use stock photos and images that they provide. With AI assistance, users can add transitions, create ML-generated voice-overs, and resize video dimensions.
GliaStudio even offers a service to turn articles into animated explainer videos using AI. This functionality is aimed at companies and news outlets. All you have to do is enter a URL to get started.
Finally, there is a type of AI video editor that basically eliminates the need to shoot footage yourself. One example of this is Synthesia. Here, you can generate an explainer video with only a script.
You upload your text, choose one of 85 avatars to present it, select one of 120 regionalized accents, and decide on a video layout from a huge gallery of templates. And you’re good to go. The AI will create a complete, ready-to-upload video for you.
Can AI replace video editors?
So with this impressive range, can AI actually replace video editors?
In certain instances, it might. If you run a news site and want to turn your articles into videos en masse, using an AI tool to give you a voice-over and a generic background animation is a viable solution.
Similarly, if you’re a marketer and want to create explainer videos for your company’s products with minimal resources, a tool like Synthesia can be a good starting point.
But there are hard limits to AI video editing. You won’t get any authenticity or individuality out of it. And these are two essential components that help creators thrive.
After all, YouTube audiences and followers on TikTok and Instagram Reels tune in to see you, not some AI generated avatar. They want to hear your voice, fall in love with your quirks, and see your unique style of content.
Kat Wonders is famous for her bubbly and playful voice, making her channel unique.
It’s these elements that help creators stand out from the crowd, build a loyal following, go viral or grow steadily, and make cash. And you won’t get them out of an AI-generated box.
A human editor can attune to your channel’s signature style – the pace of your videos, the type of transitions you use, the angles, lighting, and color schemes that are all so you. This is a personal, intimate connection on a deep level that AI just can’t mimic.
That said, AI tools like Adobe Sensei can absolutely help make the lives of professional editors easier. They speed up the editing process and make sure that videos are delivered to creators on time.
However, to leverage these tools efficiently, you already need solid editing skills. Especially in high-end tools like Premiere Pro, editing novices can easily get overwhelmed with the massive range of functionalities.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, an AI video editor can absolutely generate run-of-the-mill simplistic explainer videos or news summaries.
When it comes to truly creative content for platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Reels, though, AI editors hit their limits.
AI tools can still be useful in cutting back on editing times, and automating some routine tasks. But it takes a skilled human editor to hit all the right notes, pull the right registers, and give each video that personal, creator-specific vibe that will help it stand out and go viral.
Next up: How do you generate thumbnails with AI tools – and should you?
AI video editing means leveraging artificial intelligence to automate some parts of the video editing process. This could mean simply resizing videos, or creating an entire video from scratch based only on a video script.
AI can generate simple, off-the-shelf videos like explainer clips for products. However, when it comes to editing creative content for platforms like YouTube and TikTok, human editors are still vastly superior. They help shape a creator’s unique voice and help them stand out from the crowd.
Adobe Premiere Pro offers some AI and ML functionalities, especially through Adobe Sensei. More comprehensive AI solutions are GliaStudio and Synthesia. These allow you to generate entire explainer videos without filming any footage.
