Can AI Video Generators Replace You on Camera?
Aug 29, 2025Not yet. An AI video generator still needs you to learn the platform, script it, test it, render it and tweak it, and what comes out the other side does not connect. Turning on a camera in a desktop studio gives you five to ten usable videos in an hour, with the trust that only the real you carries.
AI video generators are being sold as the shortcut past cameras, lights and nerves. Chris Schwager’s position, built on client conversations and decades of watching video tech arrive and leave, is that the shortcut costs more than the thing it replaces. This is not an argument against AI. It is an argument about where AI belongs in the workflow.
Why do AI video generators look like the obvious shortcut?
Because the promise is exactly the thing people are avoiding. Endless videos at speed, no camera, no stress, nobody has to watch themselves back. On paper that removes every reason a professional puts video off.
“Every time I open up my bloody social media these days, there’s another AI video generator or more people talking about AI video generated videos. And they’re everywhere right now. And the promise, endless videos at lightning speed, no cameras and no stress, right?” - Chris Schwager
The promise is aimed at a real problem. It just does not solve it, because the discomfort was never the camera. It was not having a repeatable way to work, which is the case made in why tech will not fix your video strategy.
What do you actually get on the other side?
Something substandard, and still a pile of work. Chris took a real example from a student who wanted to run text out of a learning management system through an AI presenter so it felt more engaging. Straightforward on paper.
What came back did not communicate clearly and added very little over the text it was built from. There may be a slight improvement for people who prefer to listen and who want a face on screen, even a robot one. Set against that is the time, the resourcing and the money.
And none of the work disappears. You still learn the platform, script the content, test it, render it and tweak it. If the finished video does not connect with the person watching, all of that was spent for nothing.
Is this just another piece of video tech that will not stick?
Chris has watched this pattern before: 3D video, 360 video, virtual reality, augmented reality. Each one was going to change how business made video, and for most businesses none of them took.
“Because the workflow was too hard. It was overwhelming. It’s not scalable and not sellable. And that’s what I’m seeing again and again with these AI video generators right now.” - Chris Schwager
That is the test worth applying to any new video tool, not whether the output is impressive in a demo. Can you run it every week without help, and would you still be running it in six months. A tool that fails that question is a tool you are testing on someone else’s behalf.
So where does AI actually belong in your video workflow?
Where it removes a job you are genuinely bad at, rather than replacing the part of the job that only works because it is you. Chris is explicit that this is not a rejection of new tech.
“This isn’t about me trying to pull you away from new tech. It’s quite the opposite. AI video generators should exist to make life easier and faster. That’s the whole point.” - Chris Schwager
Writing is the clear example. People are typically poor at getting a message down in text, so a tool that helps structure a script is doing real work in a real gap. Using it without ending up sounding like everybody else is covered in writing AI video scripts without losing your voice. Script with AI, then deliver it yourself. The tool handles the page. You handle the person.
What is faster than an AI video generator right now?
Turning the camera on. A desktop studio or a smartphone, no tweaking, no rendering queue, no quality risk. One hour and you have five to ten usable videos.
“Just turn on record and in one hour you’ve got five to ten usable videos. Real you, real connection, real speed.” - Chris Schwager
Count the hours spent learning and testing a generator and the shortcut turns out slower than the thing it was meant to replace. How that hour is set up so it repeats is covered in creating videos faster with a DIY studio, and where those videos sit in the wider plan is in the video strategy pillar.
If your time and energy are limited, being a beta tester is the expensive option. Show up, shoot the video, get on with your day.
Frequently asked questions
Should you use an AI presenter instead of appearing on camera?
Not if trust is the outcome you need. An AI presenter reading your words adds a face without adding a person, and Chris found it communicated little more than the original text. It can suit someone who prefers to listen. It will not do the job of a buyer seeing who they would be working with.
Is AI useful anywhere in video at all?
Yes, in scripting. Writing is a genuine weak spot for a lot of people, so a tool that helps structure a message is filling a real gap rather than replacing a real strength. The rule is simple: let AI help with the page, then deliver the words yourself so the delivery stays yours.
How long does it really take to record videos without AI?
About an hour for five to ten usable videos, once the studio is set up and stays set up. There is no learning curve to repeat, no rendering, and no risk that the output looks synthetic. The time cost sits in the setup once, not in every video after it.
Will AI video generators get good enough eventually?
Possibly. Chris is clear he is not saying no forever, and the next tool could change the answer. His point is about who does the testing. Until the workflow is simple and the output is genuinely authentic, the sensible move is to let somebody else spend the hours finding out.
Transcript
Read the full transcript
Chris Schwager: Every time I open up my bloody social media these days, there's another AI video generator or more people talking about AI video generated videos. And they're everywhere right now. And the promise, endless videos at lightning speed, no cameras and no stress, right? But in my experience, it's just not that simple.
Chris Schwager: I don't see any evidence yet that they deliver authenticity at a reasonable cost, speed or quality. Okay. Just listen to that. End speed cost quality. Right? And when I look back on other revolutionary tech that I've seen come and go over the years, it makes me wonder whether AI video generators are just another.
Chris Schwager: Hi, I'm Chris Schwager, video coach and founder of the Complete Video Success System, and I've spent decades helping professionals create high impact videos that build trust, generate leads, and drive business success. And if you've ever felt unsure or under prepared or just plain awkward with video, this is for you.
Chris Schwager: I'll give you the mindset and strategies to take control, build video confidence so that you show up like a pro. It's time to make your videos work for you. I'm not saying no — let me be clear. I'm not saying no. Tomorrow there could be the new thing, the new AI video generator of ChatGPT, right? And away we go.
Chris Schwager: But this is my opinion and it's built on my experience and the conversations that I've had with clients. Yesterday, for example, I spoke with a student who wanted to use AI video generators to transfer text from an LMS into video. The idea was to make it more engaging by having an AI video presenter reading it out, and now straightforward on paper.
Chris Schwager: But here's the problem: what you get the other side is still substandard. It doesn't communicate clearly. It doesn't really add much more than just the text itself. It will increase the speed and it will be useful for those that like to listen and like that facial engagement, even though it's from a robot, it may actually give a slight improvement. And here's the bigger question. What's that cost of all that time, resourcing, and money that you're investing in there? I say it could be a waste, but then we don't know that. We've got to just keep our eye on it. My goal with all my students and anyone in our membership is that I don't want you spending time going down a rabbit hole you shouldn't go down.
Chris Schwager: I want you to invest your time in your business and just use video as the vehicle to increase lead flow and increase awareness, increase visibility. I want all that for you. I just don't want you going down and like me clicking on a TikTok ad of the latest, greatest AI video generator and then spending hours, wasting time, ultimately testing it for them.
Chris Schwager: There are so many on the market. And we're the guinea pigs. We're the guinea pigs to ascertain whether it's actually a feasible thing, whether it's actually going to be useful in the long term. So I haven't seen the evidence yet that AI video generators can deliver authenticity at the right cost, in the right time, with the right level of quality. You've still got to spend time learning the platform, scripting the content, testing, rendering, and tweaking. And it's work. If the final product doesn't connect with your audience, then what's the point? Again, as I said earlier, you are the guinea pig.
Chris Schwager: This isn't about me trying to pull you away from new tech. It's quite the opposite. AI video generators should exist to make life easier and faster. That's the whole point. And if you look at ChatGPT, it solves a universal crisis. People suck at writing text — whether it's SMS, emails, blogs, articles, we are typically pretty bad with it. And so for that reason, ChatGPT is an absolute game changer.
Chris Schwager: But when it comes to AI video generators, until they genuinely do have that epic scale of, say, ChatGPT, I'd say let somebody else do the testing. I've been around long enough to see plenty of video tech come and go — 3D video, 360 video, virtual reality, augmented reality. Each one of these was supposed to change the game, and yet for most businesses, they just didn't take. And why? Because the workflow was too hard. It was overwhelming. It's not scalable and not sellable. And that's what I'm seeing again and again with these AI video generators right now. They're clunky. They're not there yet. Until the workflow is simple, until its output is truly authentic, I just don't believe they'll become mainstream.
Chris Schwager: Now, given you my feedback on that, compare it with something as simple as turning on your camera. Either in the desktop studio or switching on your smartphone. No endless tweaking. No resourcing. No black holes. No quality risk. Just turn on record and in one hour you've got five to ten usable videos. Real you, real connection, real speed.
Chris Schwager: So here's my assumption. If you are running a business and you've got limited time and energy, don't waste time trying to be a beta tester for AI video generators. Focus on what works now. Show up, shoot your video, get on with your day. So that's it for my opinion. It is a belief, shaped by years of seeing new tech crash and burn and the conversations I'm having right now. AI video generators might revolutionize video tomorrow — who knows? But until they truly make things faster and easier, simplicity still wins.
Chris Schwager: Thanks for listening to the Video Confidence Collective Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribe to us on YouTube so you never miss an episode. For more resources, check out the show notes and follow me at Chris Schwager or Ridge Films and see you on the next episode.
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