The rise of artificial intelligence is well underway. In 2024, it picked up more momentum that’s poised to continue into 2025 and beyond. While AI is quickly becoming incorporated into nearly every industry, with many companies touting it in their marketing, not everyone is welcoming it with open arms.
This is especially true when it comes to creative work. It’s caused a large rift between those who are excited about the possibilities of these new technologies and those who are either rejecting it outright or holding it at arms length.
As a result of this creative divide, two trends have emerged that we predict we’ll be seeing more of in videos in 2025. In this article, we’ll explore both sides of the trends of surrealism and anti-AI, along with how they’ll influence video.
The state of AI in video today
Between OpenAI teasing and then releasing Sora Turbo, the latest version of its text-to-video generator, and Adobe incorporating AI features into nearly all of their products, it seems like no stage of the production process has been spared from the wave of AI technology.
Generative AI video in particular has had major strides in 2024. It was only February when OpenAI announced Sora, their text-to-video model, and announcements quickly followed from competitors, including Google’s Veo, Runway’s Gen-3 Alpha, and more.
Then in June, Toys “R” Us released an ad created entirely using Sora. The reaction online was mixed, with some calling it innovative and exciting, while others said it was unsettling and uncreative with lots of inconsistencies.
The next AI generated commercial to make waves was from Coca-Cola, who has a legacy of memorable and heartwarming ads. Needless to say, it received the same mix of reactions from audiences as the Toys “R” Us advert.
Sink or swim mentality from executives
Despite the backlash and criticism that led to Toys “R” Us turning off the comments of the preview of the ad on YouTube, the company saw the commercial as a success. Which, if the goal was to generate a ton of press with the ad, you could agree they definitely achieved that.
Even with the valid criticisms people had of the generative ads (including the amount of energy that AI technology spends, the uncanny valley look of the graphics, and the fact that generative video will have a negative impact on jobs across multiple industries, including film) these companies have remained firm in saying they’ll be using these tools for the foreseeable future.
Adobe’s vice president of generative AI, Alexandru Costin, even went so far as to say that any creatives or artists who decline to use AI in their work won’t “be successful in this new world.” But is that actually true?
A tale of two AI camps
Our prediction is that the advancements in AI technology will push creatives to new extremes in 2025, especially when it comes to video.
We’re already starting to see how all of these new AI-driven products and features are wearing on people. The term “AI fatigue” hit an all-time high in November of this year, according to Google Trends.
With one camp embracing these new technologies and the other rejecting it, two clear trends will emerge in 2025 when it comes to video: surrealism and anti-AI.
Surrealism: Pushing AI to absurd, unsettling limits in video
The main criticism of generative video today is that it doesn’t look realistic, especially when it comes to humans. The uncanny valley effect is widespread with generative content, leading to graphics that feel unsettling and strange.
But in 2025, instead of having AI technology try to replicate what humans can easily film or create themselves, creatives will use it to see how far they can push it to create the most extreme and surreal visuals possible.
Rather than seeing the uncanny valley effect as a problem to be fixed, it will be used purposefully and intentionally to give a different perspective on what the technology is capable of. Tools like Runway and Adobe Firefly will also play a role in this, with visual effects becoming more accessible to creatives of all skill levels.
What will this look like, exactly? Like a video of a horse suddenly inflating and floating away.
Or food turning into animals. While the commentary that Garron Noone is providing definitely falls in the anti-AI camp, the visuals he’s showing are perfect examples of the kind of surreal content generative AI is capable of.
Among the first artist-produced videos from Sora was one titled “Air Head”, created by a multimedia agency called shy kids. Even Walter Woodman, who directed the short form, said that the generative video tool was exciting because it could “make things that are totally surreal.”
Anti-AI: Returning to analog and craft
On the opposite side of the spectrum from AI-fueled surrealism, we have anti-AI. Rather than accepting AI with open arms into their videos and art, this trend will spotlight creators who push back against the technology by creating things in more analog, traditional ways.
Instead of using CGI, AI, VFX, or motion graphics to create effects for their videos, some will tap into their own creativity to think outside the box. Practical effects, even if they’re more time-intensive, will be embraced to take a more hands-on approach to getting the right look and feel for specific scenes or settings.
A great example of this is photographer Jordi Koalitic’s work, where he opts for hands-on approaches to creating otherworldly images instead of relying on digital software. In the video below, instead of editing in billowing smoke in Photoshop, he dips ink into a tank of water in front of his camera to get his perfect shot.
Even in the comments of the video, you can see the divide between people who are excited to see the use of practical effects vs people who are saying that he could easily create the same photo in Photoshop or with AI.
But this comment sums up the reason why finding a practical solution you can create with your hands is worth choosing over the easier route, when you have the time.
Embracing imperfection and the human experience
Another large part of the anti-AI trend will be embracing imperfection, personalization, and the human experience. Creativity is often messy, as opposed to the neat and streamlined approach of using AI, so we’ll see more videos that reject these minimalist standards.
This video from Simone Giertz is a great example of a video that embodies all of these elements. In it, she takes the idea of a chair where you throw your not-quite-clean-but-not-quite-dirty clothes (something many of us have in our lives, whether we like to admit it or not) and designs one with intentional functionality. She makes a point to avoid using CAD design software, choosing to sketch and map out her designs by hand.
By admitting to an imperfection of having this chair so many people see as an embarrassment and not only embracing it, but deciding to create her own unique design without relying on software, Giertz’s video perfectly illustrates how imperfection and creativity go hand in hand.
Explore more of the top video trends of 2025
It’ll be interesting to see how this creative divide changes and evolves in 2025 as AI becomes smarter and more widespread. There’s something to be said about the efficiency of using AI and software to enhance a creative process, but being able to put time and effort into creating something yourself with your own hands is also incredibly rewarding.
As Kyle Miller, Manager of Video Production here at Storyblocks, put it, “It’s easy to feel like you’ll never have as much creativity as a machine, when AI is able to spit out variations so easily. But when you’re creating something that’s your very specific vision, it’s a strong way to push back against the random variations that AI generates. You’re able to craft it and hone it from start to finish.”
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