What is an AI video editor?
Last updated 2026-10-20
An AI video editor is editing software that uses AI to do parts of the edit on footage you already have, such as transcribing speech, adding captions, cutting clips or reframing. It differs from an AI video generator, which makes new footage from a prompt. Many tools do some of both, so check which job a tool is built around.
AI video editor vs AI video generator
The two get mixed up because both say "AI video". The difference is where the footage comes from. An editor starts with what you filmed. A generator starts with a prompt and invents the shots. A third group, clipping tools, starts with a long recording and returns shorter pieces.
| Aspect | Editor | Generator | Clipping tool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starts from | Your own footage | A text or image prompt | A long recording |
| Gives you | A finished edit of that footage | New footage that was never filmed | Short clips cut from the recording |
| Best when | You filmed it and want it cut, captioned and finished | You need a shot you cannot film | You have a long talk or stream to cut down |
The kinds of AI help
Most AI video editors offer a mix of the following.
- Transcription. Turns speech into text with a time for each word. Captions and text-based cutting build on it.
- Captions. Puts the words on screen in time with the speech. Check whether you can fix a wrong word and whether captions are burned in or exported as a file.
- Cutting by chat. You describe the edit, such as remove the pause or keep the second answer, and the AI changes the timeline.
- Reframing. Changes a horizontal video to 9:16. Check whether the crop follows the speaker or stays fixed.
- Generation. Makes images, clips, voice or music from a prompt. Check how it is charged and whether you can mix the result with your own footage.
How AI video editors work
A typical AI editor works in layers. A speech model turns the audio into text with word timings. An AI agent reads your request in chat, together with that text, and decides which edits to make. The editor applies those edits to a timeline, the same one you can open and change by hand, and the timeline is then rendered into a video file.
Find out what the AI can perceive. Information can reach it as text, as still frames or not at all, and it can only judge what it perceives. An AI that sees stills cannot tell you whether a cut feels smooth, so you still watch the result.
What to check before you choose
Five questions sort most tools quickly.
- Does it edit your own footage? Check that you can import the files your camera and phone make, not only generate new clips.
- Can you fix the result by hand? After the AI edits, you should be able to trim, move, retime and retype on a timeline. A tool that only returns a finished file leaves you prompting again.
- What is the export quality? Look at resolution, codec, frame rate, whether exports carry a watermark and whether captions can leave as a file.
- Where do the files live? Find out whether your footage is uploaded to a server or stays on your computer, and which steps need an internet connection.
- What does each step cost? Transcription, chat and generation may be charged separately. Read the pricing page before a long project.
Woven as one example
Woven Video is one AI video editor built this way. It is a Mac app where an AI agent and you share one multi-track timeline: you ask in chat, then adjust the same edit by hand, and you can generate images, video or audio when a shot is missing. Each project lives in a workspace folder and renders on your computer, though sign-in, chat, generation and transcription need the internet. Exports are MP4 at 1080p or 1440p, with captions burned in. It does not find clips in long recordings on its own, remove silence automatically, or run on Windows or in a browser. The best AI video editor page compares it with other options.
Ask in chat
- Transcribe this interview and cut it down to the two best answers
- Make this recording vertical and crop to the left side where I am standing
- Add captions in a word-by-word style
- Generate a short cutaway of coffee being poured and place it over the intro
Or do it by hand
- 1Bring in your footage. Drop your clips from Finder onto the timeline, or use "Add" › "Video". Woven copies each file into the workspace.
- 2Ask for a rough cut. In chat, describe the edit: what to keep, how long it should run and in what order.
- 3Fix it by hand. Drag clip edges to trim, press ⌘B to split at the playhead or press ⌫ to delete. ⌘Z undoes a change.
- 4Add captions. Ask in chat, or choose "Add" › "Generate captions".
- 5Export. Open the "Export" menu and pick "1080p" or "1440p". The MP4 is saved to the workspace's exports folder.
Common questions
It handles steps of an edit with AI, such as transcribing speech, adding captions, cutting clips on request and reframing to vertical. You keep the footage and make the creative choices.
An editor works on footage you already have. A generator makes new footage from a text or image prompt. Some products do both.
Speech is turned into text with word timings, an AI agent turns your request into edits, and the editor applies them to a timeline that is rendered into a file.
No. A clipping tool pulls short clips from a long recording. An editor lets you shape a video of your own, which can include clips you chose yourself.
That is what an editor is for, but check before you commit. Some tools only generate new clips and cannot import your own files.
Try Woven free for 3 days
Then $25/mo billed yearly ($299/yr) or $39/month. Native Mac app for short-form video.
Paste into Claude Code to install and connect Woven.