Two tutorials with the same vendor logo can describe incompatible features, controls or rights. A practical history of media AI should track product versions and workflow milestones, not treat the entire 2020–2026 period as one timeless capabilities checklist.
Scope: Global English buyer context as of 25 October 2026; exact regional and plan access are not assumed. Evidence: Vendor documentation, not independent hands-on tests.
Evidence at a glance
| Option or route | Source-backed observation or unresolved requirement | Evidence class |
|---|---|---|
| Midjourney | Official V6-to-V8.2 version records with dated milestones | Official provider document |
| Runway | Provider documents a Gen-4 product generation route | Official provider document |
| Luma | Provider documents video modification in 2025 | Official provider document |
| Veo | Google DeepMind describes the Veo 3.1 family | Official provider document |
Start with official snapshots
Midjourney’s official version page records V6, V7 and V8.2 along with meaningful changes in edit and reference controls; Runway publishes separate guides for Gen-4 and Gen-4.5. Google describes Veo 3.1 video generation and Luma documents its 2025 video-modification workflows. These are verifiable milestones within a wider industry story, not proof that every feature existed throughout the seven-year scope. Early 2020-era products and releases require separate dated sources before they appear in a definitive timeline.
Version change can break a production recipe
A still-image workflow may depend on a named reference feature, then fail after its replacement. Similarly, a video tutorial built for a particular duration, crop or first-frame control can be wrong for a later version. Preserve the exact model release, UI surface, account tier and date of the instructions. When moving from a model-specific reference tool to a new edit interface, test on a non-sensitive sample rather than attempting to recover the old behavior by guessing prompt words.
Feature chronology versus capacity
A model announcement can precede general availability, and a developer endpoint may launch separately from a hosted editing application. Duration, resolution, aspect ratio, audio and credits can differ even within one brand. Record release, availability and retirement as separate timestamps, with regional and plan restrictions. Do not infer an earlier app feature from a 2026 API document. This distinction is particularly important in high-turnover video tooling.
Create a migration ledger
An archive should store: original workflow name; model/version; official source URL and publication date; eligible platform; inputs; outputs; licensing conditions; replacement or deprecation; and an example asset that the rights holder can legally preserve. Review every proposed conversion path for prohibited automation, data retention and third-party likeness concerns. A business should keep editable source scenes, captions and audio separately to reduce vendor lock-in.
How to compare tools across eras
For purchasing, compare current versions on the same project requirements. For history, compare successive capabilities within one vendor using dated primary material. Avoid a global “best of 2020–2026” ranking because a model unavailable until 2026 could not have competed in 2021. A publication should state when a feature was first demonstrated versus when it could actually be used by the reader. Vendor visual showcases are not equivalent to independent tests.
Current limits of this timeline
The cited sources support selected 2023–2026 transitions, not a complete verified history of every major image and video system starting in 2020. This review article explains a reliable method and records sourced milestones while marking unverified periods as gaps. Complete archival publishing requires more original release notes for earlier products and region-specific launch dates; no fabricated comprehensive chronology is supplied.
Sources and Further Reading
- Luma AI: Dream Machine Modify Video (checked 2026-10-25)
- Midjourney: Version (checked 2026-10-25)
- Runway: Creating with Gen-4 Video (checked 2026-10-25)
- Google DeepMind: Veo (checked 2026-10-25)
Price, entitlements, regional access and rights change. This article does not invent a live subscription offer, comparative benchmark or hands-on result. For commercial purchasing, seek dated provider contracts and AI 10 normalized price snapshots.