*Thisarticle is based on a YouTube video by Sophie Hundertmark, an expert in the use of artificial intelligence with a focus on chatbots and strategic AI applications in companies and public institutions. Sophie is a researcher and lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and is doing her doctorate in Conversational AI at the University of Fribourg. The blog text was created using a custom GPT model that was trained on Sophie’s video content, language style and expertise. The result is well-founded, up-to-date articles based on Sophie Hundertmark‘s own expertise.
You can find the link to the video at the end of this article.
Artificial intelligence is currently transforming nearly every aspect of content creation. I find the developments in the video sector particularly exciting. New tools appear almost every day that promise to automatically create, edit, or even generate videos from scratch.
But how much of this actually works in practice?
That’s exactly what I talked about in a recent episode of my podcast with Yannik Matzner. Yannik has been managing YouTube channels for companies for years and is deeply involved in exploring how AI can be effectively used in video production. Incidentally, our conversation was sparked by a very personal experiment: I had tried out a few AI video tools myself over the weekend—with limited success.
That made it all the more exciting to speak with someone who works with these technologies every day and has already produced entire image films generated by AI.
Is it already possible today to create videos 100 percent with AI?
The short answer is: Yes.
The more interesting answer is: It depends on what it’s for.
Yannik certainly sees use cases in which videos generated entirely by AI can be useful. Especially for companies that want to market products or produce a creative promotional video, there are now opportunities available that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
However, the situation is different for business models that rely heavily on trust and personal relationships. Whether you’re a coach, consultant, agency, or personal brand, your communication thrives on personality, experience, and authenticity. While an AI avatar can convey information here, it is difficult for it to replace the trust that a real person inspires.
For my own YouTube channel, I would therefore continue to rely on real people rather than fully AI-generated avatars.
An AI-generated promotional video as a practical example
I was particularly impressed by a project that Yannik talked about on the podcast.
His team created a complete promotional video using AI for a client. Both the voiceover and the film sequences were generated using AI. The result was deliberately not designed to perfectly imitate a real movie. Instead, a creative style reminiscent of *The Matrix* was chosen, thereby developing a visual language all its own.
To me, this example shows very clearly that AI doesn’t always have to try to perfectly replicate reality. Often, the most exciting results come about precisely when you consciously make use of creative possibilities and develop your own style.
The idea still comes from people
One point that struck me as particularly important during the conversation: True creativity still comes from people.
AI does not automatically generate a compelling storyline. She can develop ideas, make suggestions, or refine content. However, the basic idea, the message, and the strategic direction must continue to come from us.
Especially with AI-generated videos, the story behind the video becomes even more important.
Why?
Because many people are still skeptical of AI-generated content. When viewers realize that a video was created using AI, they often expect it to offer some special added value. As a result, the quality often needs to be higher than that of a traditional video.
Does AI really save time when editing videos?
One question that was particularly important to me: Does AI actually make production more efficient?
Yannik’s answer surprised me.
In his estimation, the AI promotional video produced by his team was about ten times more labor-intensive than a traditional video. Over the course of several months, sequences were generated, feedback loops were run through, and numerous adjustments were made.
This shows very clearly that we are currently still in a transitional phase.
AI does not automatically save production time. Instead, the workload often shifts to other areas:
- Storyline Development
- Creating and Optimizing Prompts
- Selecting Appropriate Scenes
- Quality Assurance
- Feedback Loops
Nevertheless, there is one important advantage.
Why AI-Powered Promotional Videos Can Be Beneficial for Businesses
Even though production remains labor-intensive, the workload for those involved is significantly reduced.
As an entrepreneur, for example, you must:
- not organize a video shoot
- not be in front of the camera
- Do not block any shooting days
- not have to coordinate a complex production
This can be a very interesting solution, especially for one-time projects.
AI in Video Editing: This Is Where I See the Greatest Benefit Right Now
While videos generated entirely by AI are still relatively complex to produce, I already see enormous potential in the further processing of existing content.
Yannik has mentioned a few exciting use cases here that many companies can implement right away.
Automatically Create Shorts from Podcasts
Longer formats, such as podcasts or interviews, can now be converted into various short formats relatively easily:
- YouTube Shorts
- Instagram Reels
- LinkedIn Videos
- TikTok clips
The AI analyzes the conversation and suggests relevant excerpts. Nevertheless, you should always check the results. Not every automatically selected excerpt is actually suitable for publication.
Creating Blog Posts from Videos
One use case we particularly like, of course, is converting video transcripts into blog posts.
A single video can be used to create:
- Blog article
- Social media posts
- Newsletter
- Summaries
- SEO Content
This makes it possible to reuse high-quality content multiple times much more efficiently.
Create Visualizations and B-Roll
AI now offers significant advantages even when it comes to supplementary content.
These include:
- Graphics
- Illustrations
- Animations
- B-roll footage
- visual explanations
This makes complex issues much easier to understand.
Which AI tools does Yannik currently recommend?
Of course, we also talked about specific tools.
Yannik is currently working on and experimenting with the following solutions, among others:
For video production and B-roll
- Higgsfield
For Voiceovers
- ElevenLabs
For creating shorts and clips
- Riverside
- Opus Clip
- Description
My most important lesson from this: The tool alone doesn’t create good content. The key factor remains how effectively you integrate the technology into your own workflow.
How reliable are AI transcriptions these days?
The quality has improved tremendously in recent years.
Nevertheless, Yannik recommends reviewing each transcript one more time. The following factors, in particular, can affect accuracy:
- unclear pronunciation
- Dialects
- Background noise
- Technical Terms
- Language Switch
I also found his point interesting that many tools were originally developed for the English-speaking market. Although German is now very well supported, English often still yields slightly more precise results.
How is AI changing the future of YouTube?
A particularly interesting part of our conversation focused on the future of content platforms.
A question that’s on many people’s minds:
Will we even be able to tell in the future whether a video was created by a human or by AI?
Yannik believes that this distinction is becoming increasingly difficult to make. At the same time, platforms such as YouTube are already working to label AI-generated content and establish corresponding guidelines.
Why Authenticity Is Becoming More Important, Not Less Important
I found one trend that Yannik is currently observing on YouTube particularly interesting.
A few years ago, elaborately produced, cinematic videos were often particularly successful. Today, formats that are significantly more authentic often perform better:
- direct conversations on camera
- personal experiences
- True Stories
- spontaneous insights
People are increasingly seeking authenticity. And that is precisely where AI currently faces its greatest challenges. Emotions, personality, and lived experiences can only be automated to a limited extent.
New AI Features on YouTube
YouTube itself is also integrating more and more AI features.
I find two developments particularly relevant right now.
Automatic Video Translations
YouTube can now automatically translate videos into other languages—including voiceovers.
This makes it much easier for high-quality content to reach international audiences.
The search function becomes an AI assistant
Traditional keyword search is increasingly evolving into a conversational search.
Instead of entering individual terms, users will be able to describe their problem or question in the future. The AI then searches for relevant videos that can solve this problem.
For companies and creators, this also means that content must be tailored even more closely to the actual needs of the target audience.
My Key Takeaways from the Conversation with Yannik Matzner
If I had to summarize our conversation, these would be my five most important takeaways:
- AI is already capable of creating impressive videos.
- Creative ideas still come from people.
- Videos generated entirely by AI are often more time-consuming to produce than people realize.
- The greatest added value right now lies in repurposing existing content.
- Authenticity remains one of the most important factors for success, even in an AI-driven world.
Conclusion: The future lies in the combination of humans and AI
After my conversation with Yannik, I am more convinced than ever that AI will bring about lasting change in video production.
At the same time, real-world experience clearly shows that successful content isn’t created by technology alone. Good stories, relevant content, and genuine personality remain key factors for success.
Those who use AI strategically as a tool can speed up processes, make more efficient use of content, and unlock new creative possibilities. On the other hand, anyone hoping to fully automate the entire content process will quickly run into limitations at this point.
The most exciting development, therefore, probably lies not in the question of humans versus AI—but in how we can meaningfully combine the strengths of both. to use.
Any further questions?
Do you have any questions? I am happy to support you, act as a sparring partner and answer your questions. I am always happy to receive your messages, preferably by WhatsApp message or e-mail.
