OpenAIs Sora can they closedbut Google probably thinks there’s still interest in a tool that lets you star your own AI videos. On Thursday, the tech giant announced An update to Google Vids that will let you create a custom digital avatar that looks and sounds like you, based on selfies and audio recordings you upload.
In addition, Google said it is bringing a multi-modal AI model Gemini Omni To Vids, which allows you to create videos using a combination of written prompts and reference images that you upload. Omni then mixes these inputs to create the desired AI video. It can also be used to do things like change the background or fix lighting or add effects to a video recorded on your phone.
Plus, Omni now supports step-by-step edits, meaning you can make changes to your video instead of starting from scratch.
The updates move Google Vids beyond its original role as an AI-powered workplace presentation tool into an all-in-one video creation platform. By making Vids part of Google Workspace, the company is telegraphing its use as a business tool for things like company updates or training videos, but customized avatars and speech edits could put it in closer competition with other AI video startups and tools. Hey Gen, Synthesis, Titles, D-IDand others.
Google notes that the new AI avatars will be tied to the account holder’s likeness, linked to their Google account and invisibly watermarked with a SynthID. (I guess that means no one will use this tool to make Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s weird AI videos, like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman lets users do with Sora!)
The company also says that access to personal avatars is restricted to users who are 18 or older in some regions.
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