The Future of AI in Video Editing: Game-Changer or Gimmick?

AI in Video Editing: Should You Be Excited or Worried?

AI in video editing is evolving at an astonishing pace. We’ve already moved from text-to-image to text-to-video in what feels like the blink of an eye. Tools like Adobe’s AI-powered cleanup, Descript’s AI-assisted editing, and even Sora’s AI-generated b-roll are making some aspects of video production dramatically faster. But where does this all lead? And more importantly, should video editors and businesses be excited—or worried?

The truth is, AI isn’t just a tool anymore; it’s becoming a collaborator. Right now, human-driven AI is a powerful combination. But soon, it might not need us at all.

Where AI Stands Today in Video Editing

At this moment, AI is still in the "assistant" phase. It’s a great tool for time-saving and enhancement but not a full-fledged replacement for human creativity. The most useful applications today include:

• Graphic design and layout brainstorming – AI can generate design mockups or suggest visual structures that help get ideas flowing.
• Video-to-video transformations – AI can take existing footage and "reskin" it into a completely different style (think claymation or anime from live-action).
• Automated workflow improvements – We’ve personally used AI to create a script in Premiere that shaves two minutes off every Zoom-style edit setup—a small but meaningful efficiency gain.
• Stock footage disruption – AI-generated b-roll is a major threat to stock footage libraries. Soon, clients will be able to prompt AI to generate footage that matches their brand colors, pacing, and composition on demand.

But here’s the kicker: AI is already good enough to replace some aspects of video editing. And the evolution is only accelerating.

How Editors and Businesses Should Approach AI

The biggest mistake right now? Ignoring AI.

If you’re an editor, business, or content creator, here’s how you should be thinking about it:

• Treat AI like a toy before you treat it like a tool. Play with it. Experiment. Let it surprise you. You might not need it now, but when you do, you’ll be ahead of the curve.
• AI won’t do everything for you—yet. People who expect to type a single prompt like “Make me a video” and get a perfect output will be disappointed. But those who use well-crafted, layered prompts can get from script to storyboard faster than ever before.
• The best skill to have right now? AI-assisted problem-solving. Using AI tools like ChatGPT in combination with Google, YouTube, and hands-on experience can help solve almost any workflow issue.
• If your editor isn’t exploring AI, they probably should be. The reluctance to adapt will only make the transition harder later—like coal miners watching the world shift to renewable energy.

The Future: Will AI Make Video Editors Obsolete?

Let’s talk about the real endgame for AI in video editing.

Right now, Adobe’s products are already in the cloud, which means they’re collecting massive amounts of user data on how creative professionals work. Once they train an AI model on that data, what happens to the human user?

Ask yourself: Why would Adobe want one editor paying for software when they could charge ten clients directly to use their AI-generated video service? The gig economy for creatives will rapidly evolve—or possibly implode.

Even if AI eventually produces human-quality work, will people care? Part of what makes content meaningful is knowing it came from real experiences. If we can’t tell the difference between an AI-generated emotional moment and a real one, does that affect how we feel about it?

For now, companies betting big on AI should still keep human talent on standby. The tools still require assembly and guidance, but the gap is closing fast.

Final Thoughts: Adapt or Fall Behind

AI is not a gimmick—it’s a paradigm shift. Right now, it’s making human editors more efficient, but the landscape is changing.

• Businesses should be leaning into AI-assisted workflows now, not waiting until they’re forced to adapt.
• Editors should be learning how to work with AI, not against it, because soon, the most in-demand creatives will be those who know how to leverage AI rather than be replaced by it.

If your editor isn’t using AI in some way, it’s time to ask why. The future isn’t waiting for anyone.

Need an editor? Let’s talk.