Google Vids gets AI avatars and image-to-video tools

Google is rolling out a raft of powerful new generative AI features for Vids designed to take the pain out of video creation.

Between wrestling with complicated software, finding someone willing to be on camera, and then spending hours editing out all the “ums” and “ahs,” video production often feels more trouble than it’s worth. Google is aiming to change that narrative with Vids.

So far, it seems to be finding its audience. Google announced that Vids has already rocketed past one million monthly active users, a clear sign that teams are crying out for simpler ways to bring their ideas to life with video.

Your photos now move, and avatars do the talking

Among the latest additions is the ability to turn static images into motion pictures. Imagine you’ve got a great photo of a new product but need something more engaging for a social media post or presentation. You can now upload that picture to Vids, type a quick prompt describing what you want to happen, and Google’s Veo AI will turn it into an eight-second animated clip, complete with sound. It’s a simple way to create eye-catching, brand-aligned content in minutes.

For anyone who dreads being on camera, the new AI avatars will be a welcome relief. This feature lets you produce a polished video without ever stepping in front of a lens. You write your script, choose from a selection of digital presenters, and the AI handles the delivery. It’s perfect for creating consistent training guides, product demos, or team updates without worrying about lighting, background noise, or re-recording twenty takes to get it right.

Google is also tackling the tedious task of editing. A new automatic transcript trimming tool listens to your recordings and, with a few clicks, snips out all the filler words and awkward silences. Speaking from plenty of experience, that will be a huge time-saver.

Building on this, the company confirmed that familiar tools from Google Meet – like noise cancellation, custom backgrounds, and appearance filters – are set to arrive next month. Google Vids will also soon support portrait and square formats, making it much easier to create content for different platforms.

Getting started with Google Vids

With these new tools, Google is trying to make video creation as routine as building a slide deck.

The company is broadening access to Google Vids, making it available to more Workspace customers on business and education plans. Better yet, a basic version of the Vids editor is now completely free for all consumers, offering a range of templates to help you create anything from a tutorial to a party invitation.

To get everyone up to speed, Google has also launched a new “Vids on Vids” instructional series. The video guides walk you through the entire process, demonstrates the best features, and offers practical tips to help you create professional-looking content quickly.

Real businesses are seeing the benefit

Companies are already putting Vids to work. At Mercer International, a global manufacturing firm, it’s being used for employee safety training.

Alistair Skey, CIO of Mercer International, said: “Google Vids has given us the ability to create safety content, developed and curated by our organisation rather than having to go to market to hire very expensive resources to produce that for us.”

It’s also a story of speed and scale. Forest Donovan from the data platform Fullstory was impressed by the efficiency gains. “The amount of [high gloss] content we can create in a matter of hours versus what would normally take weeks has been astounding,” he said.

By embedding these powerful yet simple AI tools directly into its Workspace suite, Google is making the case that video is no longer the exclusive domain of specialist creative teams. It’s becoming a fundamental tool for everyday communication, and these updates just made it accessible to everyone.

See also: Google Cloud unveils AI ally for security teams

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