Google has unveiled a new feature for its Gemini AI that can turn a single still photo into a short, animated video complete with sound. The new photo-to-video functionality to Gemini is powered by Google's latest Veo 3 video generation model.
Recently, Google expanded Veo 3 to Gemini users in India, Indonesia and other countries, which added video generation to Gemini. Now, with this rollout, Gemini allows users to upload a single image and add text prompts describing what should happen in the scene.
The AI model then generated an eight-second-long video clip in MP4 format, rendered in 720p resolution. Additionally, this video is complete with synchronised audio like music, dialogues or even environmental effects.
"From reimagining fairy tales through the eyes of a modern influencer, to ASMR videos exploring what it would sound like to cut through a piece of cooling lava, your imagination is the limit when you create videos with Gemini," states Google.
Currently, the feature is available to users subscribed to Google AI Pro and Ultra plans, priced at Rs 1,950 and Rs 24,500 per month in India, respectively. What's more is that the latest surprise Pixel feature drop already offers a year of the AI Pro Plan for free to Google Pixel 9 Pro users.
It can be accessed directly through Gemini’s web interface, with support for mobile apps rolling out soon. We are on Google's AI Pro subscription and tried it on our end to see the feature working for us here in India.
As soon as you head over to Gemini's web interface and click on the video panel in the chat panel, a new "Add photo" panel will appear. Simply click on this and select the photo you want to transform into a video. Then, just type in the prompt and hit enter. That's about it, and in a couple of minutes the photo should come to life.
Most importantly, Google notes that all generated videos include a visible watermark as well as Google's invisible digital watermark, SynthID. This will let people easily tell which video is AI-generated. This, Google says, is part of its broader effort to address concerns about deepfakes and misinformation as AI video tools become more widely available.
With this update, Google is positioning Gemini as not just a mere chatbot but a versatile creative outlet capable of bringing imagination to life.
