Why AI is Not Replacing Human Video Editors

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Key Takeaways

AI is increasingly permeating every facet of video content production, contributing to the production of as much as 41% of videos.
AI-only content typically fails to resonate with audiences, especially the output of full-automated AI video editors.
In the hands of video production professionals, AI functionalities become powerful tools to streamline editing processes and elevate the quality of final deliverables.

AI has permeated every aspect of the business sphere — and of content creation. Crucially for businesses, that includes video content across platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.

Recent statistics estimate that by the end of 2025, AI will have a hand in the production of 41% of video content. Major video platforms are continuously rolling out new AI features. Synthetic influencers are going viral. Video marketing is shifting.

Between all of these developments, it’s easy to believe that AI can fully automate content generation for your business, especially video editing. To a certain extent, that’s true — if you’re aiming to produce mediocre content.

Here’s why AI video editors won’t be replacing humans any time soon — and how you can still leverage AI capabilities to their fullest to streamline your video production.

The AI-only trap

While AI offers increasingly impressive capabilities in video, experience shows that authenticity and a human touch is still the trump card when it comes to generating sustainable engagement from online audiences.

It’s critical to understand that AI algorithms work on a probabilistic basis. Trained on an unfathomably large set of videos, they base elements such as cuts, transitions, effects and color grading on statistics rather than a true feel for pacing, a spontaneous bout of inspiration or a sense of comedic timing.

Even though it’s possible to adjust parameters and fine-tune prompts with respect to the type of edits you want to see, AI video editors will never be able to attune to a creator’s — or business’ — brand voice the way a human editor can.

And audiences can tell the difference.

In fact, audiences can tell even when AI was just used to enhance a video — and often react badly, as evidenced by the recent backlash against YouTube when the platform used it without telling users.

While it’s possible to generate AI-only video, businesses going this route should be prepared to be left with mediocre content at best.

How can businesses leverage AI for video content creation?

Does that mean businesses should steer clear of AI for video content creation?

Not at all. There are still numerous ways you can leverage AI to help generate viral content, from its inception to the optimization of finished products for search algorithms.

This includes:

Brainstorming video ideas based on recent trends and large-scale analytics insights
Drafting outlines for video scripts as well as high-level video marketing strategies
Generating suggestions for SEO-optimized video titles, descriptions and chapters
Using AI-based tools in video editing software to generate effects and streamline editing processes
Creating AI clones of speakers to step in intermittently or for pick-ups

The key in all of this is to use AI as a support for human creativity, rather than its replacement. Plugging a prompt — even a highly specialized one — into ChatGPT or an AI video generator will ultimately result in a bland end product that fails to engage your audience, if it doesn’t actively put them off.

In contrast, using it to spark ideas, generate multiple variations of a concept or take care of the technical legwork increases your team’s creative capacity. It frees up their time to focus on what matters most — creating more on-point video content attuned to your brand voice.

AI in video editing — used right

When it comes to video editing, how can human editors effectively leverage AI to streamline their workflows?

The technical possibilities are extensive. For instance, Adobe Premiere Pro — a video editing software used by a large section of professional video editors — now offers AI functionalities including:

Rough cuts from text-based editing
Generative extend of cut-off shots
AI audio category tagging
Auto reframe
Caption generation and auto-translation

Similar capabilities are being rolled out by other major video editing platforms, including Final Cut and Da Vinci Resolve.
The bottom line? Human video editors can use AI tools to edit faster, more efficiently and with greater precision to produce jaw-dropping effects that weren’t possible before — while still retaining the human touch that captures audiences and converts viewers.

AI in video: Balancing authenticity and efficiency

At the end of the day, businesses need to avoid falling into the trap of relying exclusively on AI for video editing. While it’s a fantastic support for human editors, AI-only content is bland and ineffective. Building an entire video strategy around it? Wasted effort.

However, blending AI into the video production workflow of your business — from idea generation to concept drafts to routine technical tasks and analytics — has the potential to elevate your content and increase your reach.

Key Takeaways

AI is increasingly permeating every facet of video content production, contributing to the production of as much as 41% of videos.
AI-only content typically fails to resonate with audiences, especially the output of full-automated AI video editors.
In the hands of video production professionals, AI functionalities become powerful tools to streamline editing processes and elevate the quality of final deliverables.

AI has permeated every aspect of the business sphere — and of content creation. Crucially for businesses, that includes video content across platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.

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