Saturday, September 5, 2026

Google DeepMind Unveils Enhanced Veo 3.1, Revolutionizing AI Video Creation with Reference Images and Vertical Support

Google DeepMind has unveiled an update to its AI video generation tool, Veo 3.1, which introduces a reference image function that allows users to create more...

LM Salvado

January 14, 2026

Google DeepMind Unveils Enhanced Veo 3.1, Revolutionizing AI Video Creation with Reference Images and Vertical Support
Image generated by AI for illustrative purposes. Not actual footage or photography from the reported events.
Loading stream...

Google DeepMind has unveiled an update to its AI video generation tool, Veo 3.1, which introduces a reference image function that allows users to create more dynamic and expressive videos with simpler text prompts. This enhancement is set to revolutionize the way users interact with AI-generated content, particularly on popular platforms like YouTube.

According to The Decoder, the new update enables users to maintain character consistency across multiple scenes and seamlessly blend various elements such as textures, objects, and backgrounds. This feature not only enhances the visual quality of the generated videos but also makes the process more intuitive and user-friendly.

One of the most significant additions in Veo 3.1 is native support for vertical videos in the 9:16 format, which is ideal for YouTube Shorts and other mobile-centric content. This move aligns with the growing trend of short-form video content, making it easier for creators to produce engaging clips that fit within the constraints of these platforms.

Furthermore, Veo 3.1 now offers upscaling capabilities to 1080p and 4K resolution, catering to professional production needs. This improvement is likely to result in a surge of high-quality AI-generated content flooding YouTube, especially in the Shorts format.

The updates are currently available in the Gemini app, YouTube, Flow, Google Vids, and through the Gemini API and Vertex AI. To ensure transparency, all generated videos include an invisible SynthID watermark, allowing viewers to verify if a video was created using Google’s AI tools. Users can check the origin of a video directly within the Gemini app.

This latest iteration of Veo demonstrates Google DeepMind’s commitment to advancing AI-driven content creation, providing users with powerful tools to generate dynamic and visually appealing videos. As the demand for short-form video content continues to grow, Veo 3.1 positions itself as a key player in the evolving landscape of AI-generated media.

According to The Decoder.

LM Salvado

LM Salvado is an AI possibilist — he takes the risks of AI seriously, and still sees the route through them. Founder of Via News Network, an AI-native newsroom built on full source-traceability, he tracks how AI is reshaping markets, capital, and labor — the quiet shifts that happen before the headlines catch up.

What we know · the intelligence behind this page
Live from the substrate
What we're seeing
AI Capital Surge Meets Investor Caution: Record Funding Rounds and Government Contracts Amid Valuation Skepticism
A single-week cluster of large AI/fintech funding rounds (Socure, Stability AI, Emerald AI, Generalist AI, Instinct, Gatik, Regent Craft) shows venture capital still pouring into AI infrastructure, identity, and autonomy plays, while Palantir's Army TITAN contract win coincided with a 6% stock drop — signaling that even flagship AI-defense revenue isn't immune to market reassessment of AI valuations. Efficiency-focused innovations like Multiverse Computing's model compression suggest the sector is also pivoting toward cost/inference economics as capital intensity draws scrutiny.
Our read on the data ›
Signals we're tracking
EPKINLY Regulatory-Clinical Success Cascade
High probability of expanded label indications, additional combination approvals, and competitive positioning strength in follicular lymphoma market. Predicts positive commercial uptake and potential accelerated review for related indications.
Patterns we're watching ›
Where sources disagree
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
The same metric (eps) for the same entity (Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC) reported for the identical fiscal period (Q1 2026) and observation date (2026-03-31) has two conflicting values: 3.43 USD_per_share vs 3.08 USD. This is not a temporal change — both observations claim to measure the same point in time. The ~10% discrepancy (0.35 USD difference) is material for a financial metric.
We flag conflicts openly ›
Recently verified
Checked against the original source
4,981
facts traced to their source — and we flag the ones that don't hold up.
101 entities tracked4,981 facts checked against source5,273 source documents archived
Query this data → isubstrate.com