Google Vids can now generate video from a prompt and voice a personal avatar

Google has updated Vids — its video editor in Workspace — with two new AI tools: Gemini Omni and personal avatars. The announcement landed on July 16, 2026, and both updates share one goal — making video creation as easy as writing a short prompt.

Gemini Omni generates and edits clips from a text description and image references. You steer edits in plain language — swap the background, fix the lighting, add an effect — step by step and without starting over. Personal avatars work differently: you upload a selfie and a voice recording, and a digital double then voices whatever text you type — no camera, no filming.

• Who gets it: Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, plus Google Workspace business customers.
• Avatars: tied to your Google Account, available to users 18+, and limited to certain regions for now; you can only use your own likeness.
• Transparency: every AI clip carries an invisible SynthID watermark.
• Use cases: quick updates, personalized messages, training and promo content.

According to Google — The Keyword, both tools are already rolling out to paid tiers.

The barrier to video keeps dropping: a team with no studio or editor can now assemble clips for social, email and landing pages in minutes. Avatars unlock personalization at scale — the same message can be re-voiced per segment or language. Along with that comes new responsibility: SynthID labeling and honesty with the audience now matter as much as production speed. Whether audiences will trust a digital double in place of a brand's real face is something only time will tell.

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