Google Vids adds Gemini Omni editing and personal avatar video tools

Google is expanding Vids, its Workspace video creation app, with two AI features aimed at making business and personal video production less dependent on traditional recording and editing workflows. In a July 16 announcement, the company said Gemini Omni is being added to Google Vids so users can generate and refine clips from natural-language prompts, while a new personal avatars feature can produce presenter-style videos from a user-provided selfie, short voice recording and script.

The update moves Vids beyond template-driven presentation clips and deeper into prompt-based video production. Google says Omni can start from a text prompt and optional image references, including a photo or rough sketch, then generate video that follows those inputs. The same model can also be used for iterative edits after a first draft, letting users ask for changes such as a different background, lighting corrections or visual effects without rebuilding the clip from the beginning.

Why it matters

For Workspace customers, the announcement is another sign that generative video is being folded directly into productivity software rather than kept as a separate creative tool. The immediate use cases are practical: internal updates, training clips, project explainers, sales enablement material and short personalized messages. Those are the kinds of videos that often need to be made quickly, revised repeatedly and distributed inside an organization, but may not justify a dedicated production team.

The avatar feature is more sensitive. Google says users can create a digital avatar that looks and sounds like them by uploading a selfie and a short voice sample, then typing what they want the avatar to say. The company says access is limited to certain regions, restricted to users 18 or older, tied to the account holder's likeness and available only to eligible Google AI Pro, Google AI Ultra and Workspace business customers.

• Gemini Omni supports text-driven video generation and step-by-step edits in Vids.
• Personal avatars can deliver scripted messages without recording a new camera take.
• Generated clips include Google's invisible SynthID watermark for AI-content transparency.

The watermarking detail is important because synthetic presenter videos can be useful in routine communications but also raise trust and disclosure concerns. Google says every generated clip includes an invisible SynthID digital watermark, giving viewers and platforms a way to verify that a video was made with AI. The rollout will test whether that level of disclosure is enough for organizations adopting synthetic video in everyday communication.

Sources

• blog.google

Cover photo by Adam Sondel on Pexels, used under the Pexels License.