Rough cuts
Video Editor · Short-form Video Editing
“Rough cuts” (Video Editor) was largely replaced by AI in 2026, after AI entered in 2022.
AI enters
2022
Largely replaced
2026
Replacement progress
100%
Technology / key factor
AI auto-editing
What this task is
Going through hours of raw footage to pick usable clips, remove flubs, pauses and repeated takes, and assemble the remaining material in order into a first version of the video.
How AI replaces it
Since 2022, AI auto-editing tools detect silence, mistakes and duplicate takes and build rough cuts from a transcript or template. By 2026, most short-form rough cuts are AI-made.
What stays human
Editors refine pacing and structure starting from the AI rough cut, deciding which key moments to keep, what can be trimmed away, and how the video should flow.