Google’s Own Creative Chief Calls Out AI Hype Around Veo 3.1 Update

Henry Daubrez, Creative Director at Google Labs and the company’s Filmmaker-in-Residence, says the enormous financial stakes surrounding artificial intelligence are turning even small product improvements into inflated media events—and he’s pointing to Google’s own Veo 3.1 video model as a prime example.

In a recent X post, Daubrez characterized the Veo 3.1 release as fundamentally incremental, despite widespread coverage treating the update like a paradigm shift. “The enormous financial stakes around AI” create pressure that transforms modest feature additions into events marketed as revolutionary, he said, acknowledging that while Veo 3.1 adds useful capabilities such as image-to-image animation, these represent minor improvements rather than breakthroughs.

Google released Veo 3.1 on October 15, 2025, via paid preview in the Gemini API, Vertex AI, and the Flow filmmaking tool. The update extends maximum clip length to 60 seconds at 1080p resolution, adds richer native audio with synchronized sound effects and natural conversation, and introduces editing controls including first-and-last frame interpolation and scene extension. Two model variants ship: Veo 3.1 prioritizes quality, while Veo 3.1 Fast optimizes for speed.

Daubrez’s critique reflects broader industry dynamics as the AI hype cycle enters a period of financial change. Investment is shifting from speculative bets to proven applications that demonstrate clear ROI.

Meanwhile, infrastructure spending by major AI players has reached historic highs, creating intense pressure to justify those outlays with tangible business results. Open-source models have rapidly commoditized core AI capabilities, squeezing margins for proprietary vendors and forcing marketing strategies to emphasize proven outcomes over technological spectacle.

Daubrez joined Google Labs as Filmmaker-in-Residence in 2025, bringing 18 years of experience blending traditional filmmaking with emerging technology. The Belgian creative director and CEO of Dogstudio/DEPT has produced award-winning work using Google’s Veo models, including the short film “KITSUNE,” for which he curated over 1,700 AI-generated shots. His role at Google includes guiding Flow’s product development to meet real creative industry needs and leading Flow Sessions, a mentorship program offering selected filmmakers access to the platform.

His public skepticism toward the Veo 3.1 hype is notable given his dual position as both a Google insider and an advocate for measured, creator-focused AI tool development. The comments underscore tension between the marketing imperatives driving AI product launches and the practical realities facing professionals who use these tools daily.

The Veo 3.1 update builds on Veo 3, introduced in May 2025, with enhancements that include the ability to insert or remove objects and characters with automated lighting and shadow blending, multi-prompt transitions, and improved identity and camera controls.

Daubrez’s remarks suggest that even those building and promoting AI tools recognize the gap between marketing narratives and incremental technical progress—a disconnect that may widen as financial scrutiny intensifies and the industry moves from hype-driven launches to sustained value creation.