A great deal has transpired over the past year as I’ve been anticipating the emergence of “the best AI video generators for creators and marketers.”

Six months ago, the list of top contenders was disrupted when OpenAI announced Sora, described as “an AI model capable of creating realistic and imaginative scenes from text instructions,” on February 15th.

Ten days later, I attempted to try Sora myself. However, OpenAI's website informed me, "At this time, we don’t have a timeline or additional details to share on Sora’s broader public availability."

I’ve been waiting for updates ever since. And waiting. Yet, waiting for Sora feels akin to "Waiting for Godot." (For those unfamiliar with Samuel Beckett’s play, spoiler alert: Godot promises to arrive tomorrow but never does.)

The prolonged wait: Sora’s elusive public release

I viewed “OpenAI Sora’s first short film – ‘Air Head,’ created by shy kids,” upon its debut on March 26th. I assumed that Sora would become publicly accessible within a few months.

However, it’s now August, and only a limited number of visual artists, designers, and filmmakers have been granted access to “gather feedback on how to enhance the model for the benefit of creative professionals.”

In essence, I still cannot assess Sora personally.

Moreover, shy kids is a Toronto-based production company. It remains unclear whether KaraVideo.AI, a video generator powered by Sora, deserves most of the credit for this striking video. Without a creative team of humans guiding the text-to-video model, would the outcomes be similar or different?

Exploring 7 alternative AI video generators

During my wait for Sora, I instructed two online courses on influencer marketing and AI at the New Media Academy in Dubai, UAE. I showcased "Air Head" to my students but stressed that AI video generators still require human creativity to yield captivating results.

To help them apply their learning, I tasked them with creating a video using a free AI generator available in the MENA region within two or three days.

To identify the best tools, I consulted AI search engines (Perplexity, ChatGPT-4, Claude 3, Microsoft CoPilot, and Google’s Gemini). Each provided lists of recommendations, with options ranging from six to eight suggestions.

Overall, my students familiarized themselves with seven free AI video generators—six I selected and one recommended by another instructor in the program. Here’s the list in alphabetical order:

1. Canva’s Magic Studio: Quick and customizable video creation

Canva’s AI video generator is part of its Magic Studio, a collection of AI-powered tools aimed at helping teams swiftly create videos from text, followed by refining the content using editing tools, applying filters, or removing backgrounds with a single click.

2. InVideo AI: Simple and efficient video production

InVideo AI provides pre-made templates and an AI-driven text-to-video feature. It allows you to create professional-looking videos quickly. The free plan includes watermarked videos and limited export options.

3. Kapwing: Collaborative editing with AI tools

Kapwing is a collaborative video editor offering AI tools for video creation, such as automatic subtitling and meme generators. The free plan has limitations, like watermarked exports and restricted cloud storage.

4. Lumen5: Turning text into engaging videos

Lumen5 converts text into engaging video content. You can input your blog post, article, or any text content, and it will generate a video based on it. The free plan includes basic features, though it adds a watermark.

5. Pictory: Condensing long-form content into short videos

Pictory enables transforming long-form content, such as blogs and articles, into short, shareable videos.

It uses AI to highlight key points and create a video summary. The free version comes with some limitations but is functional for basic needs.

6. Runway ML: Experimenting with creative AI

Runway ML offers a free plan with credits for using their AI features, including video generation. It’s ideal if you wish to experiment with a creative and potent tool, but bear in mind the free tier has constraints.

7. Synthesia: AI-driven multilingual video content

Synthesia is an AI video generator that transforms text into speech in a few minutes. It includes more than 160 AI avatars that can speak your text in over 130 languages. This empowers marketers to create training, how-to, and product marketing videos for global audiences.

Insights from hands-on use of AI video generators

Following my overview of these seven AI video generators, I asked my students to select just one to utilize for their capstone assignment. I also disclosed that I was writing this article and permitted my students to contribute their thoughts on the tool they had employed.

Dana Al Khulaifi, a student at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and a Data and Technical Support Manager at Dawahi AlAin, a community project, stated:

• “Creating videos with InVideo.io was effortless and enjoyable! My thoughts were translated into a masterpiece by the AI. I could produce professional-looking videos swiftly as the AI managed most of the work.”
• “I was genuinely satisfied with the variety of layouts and how easy it was to customize them. It took minimal effort to make my videos look fantastic. InVideo.io is an excellent resource for anyone seeking to create remarkable videos quickly and effortlessly.”

Three other students, who wished to remain anonymous, shared their feedback about the other AI video generators they had experimented with:

• One student explored Synthesia for creating AI-generated videos. She was impressed by the availability of various Arabic dialects but noted that the pronunciation in Arabic was not flawless. She suggested that AI still requires human oversight for quality control, such as improving pronunciation and adding emotional expressions.
• Another student used Runway for video creation, finding the process straightforward with tools for editing, transitions, and effects. She observed that while AI could automate many aspects, it still lacked the originality and emotional depth that human creativity brings. She emphasized the importance of human oversight in infusing contextual awareness and cultural sensitivity into AI-generated videos.
• A third student used Canva to create videos quickly. She noted the efficiency and speed of AI tools but highlighted the absence of emotional expression and the mechanical tone of AI-generated content. She proposed that AI tools could be utilized for drafting videos, which could later be refined with better AI tools or human intervention for a more polished final product.

Here is a compilation of comments about using AI videos from over a dozen other students:

• “I attempted to use AI tools, but the video appeared quite dull and didn’t effectively showcase anything social.”
• “When comparing the AI video with the one I created, the AI video was less engaging.”
• “AI is great but lacks the human touch, especially in terms of storytelling and video quality.”
• “The AI didn’t align with the style I desired, and the video felt robotic.”
• “The AI-generated video was intriguing but not as detailed or creative as the one crafted by the human team.”
• “AI-generated content still necessitates human input; the video failed to capture the creativity I sought.”
• “I tried challenging the AI, but it struggled to accurately depict what I envisioned, particularly concerning cultural representation.”
• “The AI couldn’t get the hands right—it looked odd, and the voice-over was robotic.”
• “AI tools offered options and brainstorming ideas but didn’t produce a final result that met expectations.”
• “The AI video differed significantly from what I anticipated, especially regarding hands and backgrounds. It wasn’t fully accurate.”
• “AI is suitable for generating basic content, but it lacks the precision and personalization required for luxury brands.”
• “The AI encountered issues with details like hands, and the background didn’t correspond to the context I intended.”
• “AI videos often lack the same emotional connection or creative flow as those made by humans.”
• “The backgrounds created by AI frequently don’t fit the context I desire.”
• “AI videos can create something quickly but lack creativity and detail.”
• “It didn’t feel authentic; AI cannot replace the human touch and emotional intelligence.”
• “The hands and background in the AI video were distorted and didn’t match my original concept.”

Advantages and challenges of AI in video creation

Overall, here are the general observations made by dozens of students

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