Today’s Creative Spark…

• Google Vids Gets AI Avatars and Image-to-Video Tools

• Piktochart Launches Pikto AI Studio: All-In-One AI Design Suite for Non-Designers

• Are these the AI music industry jobs of the future?

• Beatoven.ai launches ‘fully licensed’ music AI model – with artist payouts

• YouTube secretly used AI to edit people's videos. The results could bend reality

AI can now create videos, design graphics, generate music, and even subtly alter reality, so are we still the creators, or just curators of what machines imagine?

Read time: 8 minutes

Video Generation

Google Vids Gets AI Avatars and Image-to-Video Tools 📽️

Summary: Google has introduced a range of new generative AI features for its Vids platform to make video creation easier for both businesses and consumers. Users can turn static images into animated clips using Veo AI, create videos with digital avatars instead of appearing on camera, and save time with automatic transcript trimming that removes filler words and pauses. Upcoming enhancements include noise cancellation, appearance filters, and support for multiple aspect ratios. Google Vids is expanding access to Workspace customers and has launched a free consumer version with templates and a “Vids on Vids” tutorial series. With over one million monthly active users, the platform is helping companies like Mercer International and Fullstory produce professional videos more quickly and cost-effectively.

Five Essential Elements:

1. Image-to-Video Clips: Static photos can be animated into eight-second motion videos with sound using Veo AI, ideal for engaging social posts or presentations.

2. AI Avatars: Users can write scripts and generate videos with digital presenters, eliminating the need to appear on camera while maintaining consistent delivery.

3. Transcript Trimming: An automatic editor quickly cuts filler words and pauses, reducing the time spent cleaning up recordings.

4. Broader Access: Vids is now included in more Workspace business and education plans, alongside a free consumer version featuring templates and easy editing.

5. Real-World Impact: Companies like Mercer International and Fullstory are leveraging Vids to speed up production, reduce costs, and create high-quality training and marketing videos.

Published: August 27, 2025

Photo Editing

Piktochart Launches Pikto AI Studio: All-In-One AI Design Suite for Non-Designers 🖼️

Summary: Piktochart has introduced Pikto AI Studio, a comprehensive image-editing suite that unifies generation, modification, and restoration tools into one platform. Designed for non-designers, it features an AI Image Generator, an AI Object Modifier for adding or removing elements, and one-click Background Removal. The toolkit also includes an Upscaler, Image Restorer, and Text Remover, giving creators full control to polish visuals without switching between multiple apps. Built to complement human creativity rather than replace it, Pikto AI Studio empowers marketers, educators, and everyday users to go from idea to finished asset seamlessly. All Piktochart users can access the update immediately, with new users offered 60 free AI credits for a 7-day trial.

Five Essential Elements:

1. Integrated AI Toolkit: Combines image generation, editing, enhancement, and restoration into one streamlined platform.

2. AI Image Generation: Produces unique, high-quality visuals directly from text prompts.

3. AI Object Modification: Lets users add, remove, or restyle elements within existing images to match creative intent.

4. Image Cleanup Tools: Includes a background remover, upscaler, restorer for damaged photos, and text remover for easy corrections.

5. Accessible to All: Available to current Piktochart users, with a free trial offering 60 AI credits over 7 days for new sign-ups.

Published: August 26, 2025

Workflow by The Gen Creative

In each newsletter, the Gen Creative team puts together a practical creative workflow so you can get ideas of how to implement AI right away. Want to see more? Check them out here!

Music

Are These the AI Music Industry Jobs of the Future? 🎵 

Summary: The music industry is rapidly adapting to artificial intelligence, creating entirely new career paths that didn’t exist just a few years ago. As platforms like Suno and virtual artist technologies gain traction, roles such as “music designers,” virtual star creators, AI voice agents, and hologram experts are emerging as part of the industry’s evolution. These jobs reflect a shift from traditional artistry toward tech-driven production, where sound, performance, and even personas can be generated or enhanced by AI. While some see this as an exciting expansion of creative possibilities, others worry about the impact on human musicians, producers, and voice actors. What’s certain is that AI-driven roles are becoming central to how music is created, performed, and monetized.

Five Essential Elements:

1. Music Designers: Songwriters and producers evolve into AI specialists who craft tracks with tools like Suno, shaping soundscapes rather than relying solely on traditional musicianship.

2. Virtual Star Creators: Designers and labels create AI-generated pop stars that never tire, misbehave, or go on tour, opening new possibilities for artist creation and branding.

3. AI Voice Agents: Talent representatives could license and manage cloned voices of performers and narrators, balancing passive income with ethical safeguards.

4. Hologram Experts: A growing demand for specialists to stage avatar performances, whether reviving late legends or enabling older stars to “tour” virtually.

5. Industry Transformation: Just as webmasters and social media managers became vital roles in earlier tech shifts, AI-focused positions are poised to become essential within the modern music ecosystem.

Published: August 24, 2025

Music Generation

Beatoven.ai launches ‘fully licensed’ music AI model – with artist payouts 🎧

Summary: Beatoven.ai has introduced Maestro, a new AI music generation model trained entirely on licensed works through partnerships with Rightsify, Symphonic Music, Soundtrack Loops, Pro Sound Effects, and others. Unlike many competitors facing lawsuits over unlicensed training data, Maestro ensures ongoing royalty payments to artists, composers, and rightsholders whose music contributes to its outputs. The system uses Beatoven.ai’s Musical AI platform to track which licensed songs influence each generated track, enabling transparent attribution and payouts. With 2 million users already generating over 15 million tracks on earlier models, Maestro aims to redefine fair AI music creation by combining innovation with respect for creators’ rights.

Five Essential Elements:

1. Fully Licensed Training: Maestro was built exclusively on music from official partnerships, avoiding copyright disputes that plague other AI platforms.

2. Royalty Payments: Artists and rightsholders receive ongoing payouts whenever their licensed works contribute to AI-generated tracks.

3. Attribution Tracking: Beatoven.ai’s Musical AI system identifies specific musical elements used, ensuring transparent credit and compensation.

4. Creative Expansion: Maestro generates instrumental tracks today, with sound effects and vocals planned for future updates, plus fine-tuning by genre or style.

5. Ethical AI Benchmark: Industry leaders praise Maestro as proof that generative AI can be built responsibly, supporting musicians rather than exploiting them.

Published: August 27, 2025

Video Editing

YouTube secretly used AI to edit people's videos. The results could bend reality 😱

Summary: YouTube has quietly applied AI-driven edits to creators’ videos without asking permission, raising concerns about authenticity and trust. Subtle changes, such as sharper skin, smoothed wrinkles, and warped ears, appeared in some Shorts, leaving creators uneasy about the “AI-generated” effect. YouTube confirmed the experiment, calling it machine learning–based clarity improvements similar to smartphone processing. Critics argue that undisclosed edits undermine creator control and weaken the audience’s connection to reality. Experts warn this is part of a larger trend, with AI increasingly shaping how we perceive the world, often invisibly, and raising questions about consent, trust, and the authenticity of digital media.

Five Essential Elements:

1. Unannounced AI Editing: YouTube altered some Shorts with AI enhancements, including sharpening, denoising, and smoothing, without notifying creators.

2. Creator Backlash: Popular YouTubers like Rick Beato and Rhett Shull reported strange artifacts, calling the changes misleading and damaging to creator–audience trust.

3. Company Response: YouTube framed the edits as machine-learning improvements akin to smartphone processing, but offered no opt-out or creator control.

4. Eroding Reality: Experts caution that invisible AI mediation blurs the boundary between authentic and synthetic content, shifting how audiences connect with creators.

5. Wider Context: From AI-enhanced smartphone photos to Netflix’s AI-upscaled shows, these experiments reflect a larger movement toward algorithmically “improved” media that reshapes perception.

Published: August 24, 2025

Remote Creative Jobs

5 Remote Startup Creative Jobs

1. Intermediate 2D Artist/Animator: Big Viking Games is hiring a 2D Artist/Animator (4-month contract) to create art and animations for FishWorld.

2. Organic Prop Artist: Unknown Worlds is hiring an Organic Prop/Foliage Artist (6-month remote contract) to create immersive plants, rocks, and organic props for Subnautica 2.

3. Ads Video Editor: Paired is hiring a Video Editor with expertise in direct response advertising to craft high-converting ads for Facebook, YouTube, and Google, focusing on strong hooks, storytelling, and data-driven optimization.

4. Middle 2D Artist: Innovecs Games is hiring a 2D Artist to create vibrant mobile and social casino game art within a flexible and globally collaborative environment.

5. Instructional Designer: ELVTR is hiring an Instructional Designer to manage end-to-end online course production, collaborating with teams and instructors to deliver high-quality, innovative learning experiences.

See you next time!

Every project has sparks of inspiration and stretches of fine-tuning. 🖌️🎶 AI is stepping in on the fine-tuning—cropping photos, balancing sound, smoothing language. 🖼️🎧📝 It blends into the workflow, keeping attention on the creative direction. 📷🎛️📑

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