MiniMax has introduced its first open multimodal generative model, H3, on July 31st, marking a significant event in the field of AI video generation. The model supports 2K audio-video generation with native two-channel sound and a duration of 15 seconds, and it secured the top spot in the global video editing ranking on the Artificial Analysis platform.
The cost for generating videos using the H3 model is set at 0.8 yuan per second, which is only one-third of the prices for comparable flagship products. Following the announcement of the release, the company's shares rose by 14%, recovering previous declines, as investors reacted positively to the cost control strategy.
H3 is capable of understanding contexts related to text, images, video, and audio, while generating audio-video with native two-channel sound. The model's technical advantage lies in its ability to follow instructions, correctly represent textual and brand information, and feature V2V motion transfer—the ability to transfer motion from one video frame to another. This function enables controlled editing of multimodal content.
The H3 model facilitates content generation for various commercial use cases, including advertising, branding, e-commerce, product development, UI/UX, and gaming. This significantly simplifies the process of creating high-quality video content for enterprises and developers. The cost advantage is achieved through systematic optimization: using a highly compressed tokenizer reduces the required number of tokens for video generation, while heterogeneous training configuration, load balancing, and improved GPU utilization substantially lower both training and inference costs while maintaining model quality.
A central element of the release is the open-source strategy. MiniMax plans to make the model weights available within a few days, subject to regulatory compliance. This will allow companies to deploy the model locally and adapt it using their own data to ensure security and compliance. The company stated that chip manufacturers and developers can participate in adaptation and optimization to reduce operational expenses and expand application scope, following the industry trend of moving from closed services to open, collaborative ecosystems.
MiniMax's approach aligns with the example of Moonshot AI's Kimi K3, the largest open-weights model at 2.8 trillion parameters, which reached cluster computing limits within 48 hours of its release and suspended new consumer subscriptions on July 19th for priority use of computational resources by paying users. MiniMax's strategy deliberately avoids the parameter race characteristic of the Chinese AI industry. While leading players face computational limitations and supply shortages, MiniMax focuses on an extreme price-to-performance ratio combined with open-source distribution to build a commercial advantage based on unit economics rather than model scale. Market observers will monitor the community adoption progress of H3 after the open-source release, the pace of commercial orders, and whether the volume-based pricing strategy can return MiniMax to a leading position in the AI race. The model positions economically viable, commercially deployable multimodal generation as a new frontier of competition, and its video editing capability indicates that production quality for professional workflows may become as important as basic generative power.
Google announced two new features for Google Vids, its video creation platform integrated into Google Workspace, on Thursday (16). These additions enable content generation using artificial intelligence from texts and images, in addition to offering the ability to create custom digital avatars.
The new tools were designed to streamline audiovisual production, allowing users to edit, adjust, and personalize their videos without needing conventional filming or extremely complicated editing processes. This feature is available to subscribers of the Google AI Pro and Ultra plans, as well as to Workspace business clients.
This update elevates Google Vids beyond its original function as a mere corporate presentation tool, aligning it with specialized AI-generated video platforms. The system utilizes the Gemini Omni model, a multimodal artificial intelligence model, combining it with sound and visual personalization features.
The main innovation lies in the integration of Gemini Omni, which allows for the creation of videos from textual descriptions and reference images. The user can input an idea in natural language and supplement it with visual elements, such as sketches or photographs, to guide the final result. Furthermore, the technology supports continuous modifications to the generated material; through written commands, it is possible to request specific changes, such as changing scenes or improving the lighting of a video shot with a cell phone, without having to restart the entire project.
According to Google, this functionality aims to simplify editing, as adjustments can be made sequentially. The company assures that this operating method applies to both videos created by the AI itself and content captured by users.
Another significant advancement is the ability to develop personal avatars that digitally represent the individual. To generate this virtual character, the user must provide a facial photo (selfie) and a brief voice recording. After that, they simply type the desired message for the avatar to present, eliminating the need for a new recording. Google clarified that these avatars are linked to the user's account and can only represent that specific person. There are access restrictions, as the tool is only available to those over 18 years old in certain locations.
Finally, the company announced that all videos produced with the aid of artificial intelligence will receive an invisible digital watermark, created by SynthID. This mechanism serves to identify AI-generated content and increase transparency regarding the origin of these materials.
