Veo 3, Google’s advanced AI video creation tool, has become a global phenomenon following its launch at Google I/O 2025. Within less than a month, Vietnamese social media was flooded with AI-generated comedic videos. Users created a variety of content, from parody music videos and fictional interviews to everyday jokes and even animated retellings of Vietnamese history. These clips all bear a humorous, highly shareable tone.

Hashtags like #VeoAI, #videoAI, and #AIvietsub have garnered tens of millions of views. Many AI video-focused accounts gained over 500,000 followers after just a few weeks. Some young creators turned this passion into a summer business, offering custom video production, scriptwriting, or Veo 3 account rentals.

With Google Veo 3, anyone can produce a short, cinematic-quality video from a few lines of text. No cameras, actors, studios, or post-production skills are needed, and a complete video can be created in minutes.

Leveraging this capability, young Vietnamese creators quickly jumped on the trend, producing a flood of short films for social media platforms.

On July 11, Google announced the rollout of its AI Ultra and Flow package in Vietnam. Google’s premium service grants access to its most powerful AI models for complex, resource-intensive tasks.

Flow users can add dialogue to clips when using the Frames to Video feature, allowing personal images to serve as the video’s opening frame. In addition to Veo 3’s existing ability to add sound effects and ambient noise, users can now include dialogue.

Users also gain access to the Gemini Pro assistant with a 2.5 reasoning model and enhanced Deep Research features for in-depth analysis and synthesis. The NotebookLM research assistant in the AI Ultra package offers five times the usage limit of the free version, supporting research and writing.

Gemini integrates deeply with Google apps like Gmail and Docs to boost productivity. The package also includes 30TB of storage to meet user needs.

Globally, Google AI Ultra costs $249.99 per month, with a 50 percent discount for the first three months. In Vietnam, it is priced at VND3 million for three months after the discount.

It’s common to see videos or short films mimicking Chinese drama scripts, a genre that once dominated Chinese short-form content. Protagonists are often portrayed as cold, wealthy men in familiar settings like mansions, supercars, or luxurious boardrooms.

Vietnamese creators turn these narratives in just a few seconds, with slightly "localized" videos to suit the tastes of domestic audiences, such as the CEO driving a car through a red dirt road, or meeting an ex-lover wearing a traditional Vietnamese dress in the rain.

These are old tropes in new settings, but the content is largely recycled from familiar Chinese scripts.

Seizing this opportunity, many creators have jumped in, fueling a growing wave of AI short films on social media.

Democratized content creation or repetitive formulas?

The rapid spread of AI videos highlights the democratization of content production. Anyone with an idea and Veo 3 can make films and tell stories without a crew. This is hailed as a turning point for digital creativity.

However, the easier it is to make films, the more repetitive the content becomes. Most short films follow a predictable formula, differing only slightly in settings or costumes.

Some audiences are growing tired of this “AI cinematic universe.” Viewers note that while the videos are visually stunning, they often lack emotional depth, feeling like polished shells designed for views rather than genuine storytelling.

Will Veo 3 thrive or fade in Vietnam’s digital market?

Director Nguyen Cang, known for emotionally rich films, said: “The AI filmmaking wave in Vietnam is a notable phenomenon, showcasing the youth’s ability to quickly adopt new technology.”

However, he expressed concern that most AI videos follow pre-existing tropes, lacking investment in scripts or meaningful messages.

Cang believes Veo 3 can succeed in Vietnam, but only if users move beyond chasing trends and use the tool as part of a creative process rather than focusing solely on the output.

“If it’s just about flashy visuals and dazzling effects, Veo 3 will be like many tech trends that flare up and fade quickly. But if Vietnam’s content creation community uses it to tell personal, authentic stories reflecting real life, it could be a major boost for the digital content industry,” Cang added.

Thu Uyen