Google has updated its Vids product to let users create AI-generated digital avatars of themselves using a selfie and voice recording. The move broadens Vids from an AI-assisted workplace presentation tool into a more complete video-creation platform, potentially strengthening Google’s position against specialist AI-video companies.

The update also brings Google’s Gemini Omni model to Vids, enabling videos to be created from written prompts combined with uploaded reference images. Users can alter backgrounds, improve lighting, add effects and make step-by-step edits; personal avatars are restricted to account holders aged 18 or over in selected regions, linked to their Google accounts and invisibly watermarked with SynthID.