Google Veo 3.1 Lite Cuts AI Video Generation Costs in Half: 1080p at Less Than Half the Price

Google released Veo 3.1 Lite, a cost-optimized version of its Veo video generation model that delivers comparable quality to the full model at less than half the cost. The model supports text-to-video and image-to-video creation at up to 1080p resolution—the same ceiling as higher-tier Veo versions. Use case: marketing teams that previously couldn't justify AI video at enterprise Veo pricing can now generate campaign assets, product demos, and social content at scale. Veo 3.1 Lite integrates directly into YouTube Shorts for creators, and into Google Gemini for business users. The release follows OpenAI's Sora discontinuation, consolidating the professional AI video market around Google, Runway, and Pika. Access via Gemini API and Google AI Studio.