On May 20, 2025, Google introduced VEO 3 at an I/O event, showing off a major leap with AI-generated videos. Built to create surreal footage using synchronized audio, the VEO 3 has become the talk of the internet for a very compelling street interview, not for technical specifications, but for street interview videos. That wasn’t the case.
A street interview video for Veo 3 that fooled everyone
The clip was posted by X user @minchoi and shows a man in a blue shirt interviewing two women on a neon-lit street. Everything about it looks authentic, including dialogue, facial expressions, surrounding noise, camerawork. However, the entire scene was created from a single text prompt. There are no actors. There are no streets. There is no camera.
Google Veo 3 Realism just broke the internet yesterday.
This is 100% AI
10 Wild Examples:
1. Pic.twitter.com/ Street interview where QDXZVHOO3G did not occur
– Min Choi (@minchoi) May 22, 2025
The revelation sparked a wave of distrust and concern. What happens if AI can forge realistic videos, if the intention is not harmless?
VEO 3 is part of a broader push for Google to position AI at the heart of media creation. Along with VEO, Google has launched Flow, an AI filmmaking tool that combines VEO, Imagen for Visuals, and Lyria with music and sound. The result is an all-in-one studio, allowing users to use anything but prompts to generate scenes with full audio, dialogue and cinema effects. At the event, CEO Sundal Pichai calls it “the most exciting age of AI to date” and looks at the potential to rebuild the creative industry.
From filmmaking tools to ethical flashpoints
But Veo 3’s realism forces bigger questions.
The interview, as described by @minchoi as “100% AI,” is a fraf extension of discussions about ethics, disinformation, and media trust. Oren Etzioni, founder of Truemedia.org, warned that videos like this could be used to manipulate public opinion and mislead voters. The concern is not theoretical – it is immediate.
What separates the VEO 3 from its previous model is its handling of both visual and sound well. According to Deepmind CEO Demis Hassabis, VEO 3 can interpret video scenes and automatically sync audio, generating realistic conversations in real time. For creators, it is a powerful tool. In the case of a false information campaign, it’s a gift.
Google says it is taking steps to reduce risk. VEO 3 embeds invisible watermarks using SynthID, a deep, prominently developed system designed to tag AI-generated frames. However, experts remain skeptical, especially as detection tools fall behind the generational tools, and bad actors find ways to avoid safety measures.
Online responses are mixed. Some people are surprised that Veo can be done. Others are very uneasy. “It’s so realistic, that’s unsettling,” one user wrote. Another predicted it would shake the film industry by saying it would “blurrify the line between high-tech and art.” That tension, object of respect and anxiety defines conversations about AI videos.
Technically, VEO 3 is built on years of internal research. Following the prompts is better, giving users more control over the composition and pacing of the shots. However, details of the training data remain vague. Google has not confirmed whether YouTube content has been used. This is a sticking point for critics who worry about copyrighted material being drawn into the training set without permission.
The impact on the future of work and Hollywood
The ripple effect is far beyond entertainment. A 2024 report by the Animation Guild estimates that AI could disrupt more than 100,000 jobs in the US film and television sector by 2026. With tools like Veo3, I feel that timelines are less hypothetical.
The lawmakers have already responded. California and Washington have passed laws aimed at restricting the use of content generated by AI during the election cycle. Other states have drafted similar bills. But regulations are just one puzzle.
Etzioni argues that a broader solution is needed, including more powerful detection systems, better media literacy, and public education on synthetic content. The fake interview may have started as an experiment, but the meaning is realistic and urgent.
VEO 3 hasn’t just broken the internet. It revealed how vulnerable the boundary between real and fake has become. The question now is how we respond and how long the line will be visible.
🚀Want to share the story?
Submit your stories to TechStartUps.com in front of thousands of founders, investors, PE companies, tech executives, decision makers and tech leaders.
Please attract attention
