Gemini Omni

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Impact on Hollywood & Creative Workflows

  • Many expect significant disruption to film/TV, especially once shot duration/consistency limits improve.
  • Others argue Hollywood’s core problem is weak storytelling, not tech, so AI video won’t fix or fundamentally change that.
  • Several note AI is already used in storyboarding, previs, Photoshop-style infill, mocap replacement, background swaps, etc.
  • Some fear AI video will accelerate low-effort “slop,” while others see it as a tool that lowers barriers for small creators.

CGI, Puppets, and “No CGI” Myths

  • Detailed discussion on a recent film’s use of a puppet plus heavy CGI, and how marketing spin (“no CGI” / “no green screen”) misleads audiences and minimizes VFX artists’ contributions.
  • Point that physical references (puppets, real jets, real tulips) are often used, then largely replaced with CGI, yielding better, more grounded effects.

Quality, Physics, and Spatial Understanding

  • Many find Omni’s videos visually impressive but still flawed: inconsistent faces, geometry shifting, spatial errors.
  • Rigid-body/physics experts tested Jenga-like scenes and marble tracks; results look plausible at a glance but show disappearing/morphing pieces and non-physical motion.
  • Some see this as “dreamlike” motion that feels right but doesn’t follow real equations, suggesting current training lacks deep 3D/physics structure.

Trust, Authenticity, and Emotional Impact

  • Strong concern that realistic video gen destroys trust in video evidence, with implications for courts and politics.
  • Discussion of watermarking/identification tools, seen as “too late” and limited.
  • Several report diminished enjoyment of online video (e.g., “cute animals,” vigilante clips) once they suspect it’s AI or heavily staged, though others say emotional impact can still be similar to traditional fiction.

Legal, Ethical, and Market Concerns

  • Real-estate listing videos generated with AI raise worries about misrepresentation; some call this misleading and unethical.
  • Debate over censorship and “reference locking” vs. training on copyrighted material.
  • One commenter laments resources going to AI video instead of harder problems like fusion.

Product Execution, Access, and Competition

  • Multiple users can’t generate videos due to usage limits or undisclosed caps; some browsers crash on the demo-heavy site.
  • Several compare Omni unfavorably to competing video models (e.g., Seedance 2.x), citing worse quality and heavy censorship.