South Africans can now access Google’s most advanced AI video generator, Veo 3, via the Vids app linked to Gmail, following its global rollout to over 159 countries last Thursday. The tool, first introduced at Google I/O 2025, allows users to generate short, AI-powered video clips up to eight seconds long.
While Veo 2 remains free and faster to use, its output lacks the polish of Veo 3, which is currently limited to preview mode under Google’s AI Pro subscription. Users can only generate a few clips daily without upgrading.
Despite its impressive capabilities, Veo 3’s global debut has sparked immediate concerns. According to Ars Technica, social media platforms like TikTok were quickly flooded with racist and offensive AI-generated videos – some depicting harmful stereotypes and marked with Veo’s watermark, making their origin clear.
The controversy echoes issues from last year when Google’s AI image generator was pulled from public use after similar backlash over discriminatory content.
Google has not yet commented on new moderation plans specific to Veo 3, but the incident raises urgent questions about the responsible deployment of generative AI, particularly tools capable of creating visual media at scale.
