Google has updated Vids, its enterprise video creation tool, with a range of generative AI features including natural language avatar controls, an upgraded video model and direct YouTube publishing.
The most notable addition is text-directed avatar control, which allows users to instruct on-screen avatars using natural language prompts, directing them to interact with products, props or equipment within a scene while maintaining character consistency.
Users can also modify avatar appearance, change clothing and generate new backgrounds through prompts, giving creators greater flexibility without manual editing.
Google is also rolling out Veo 3.1, its latest video-generation model, inside Vids, enabling users to produce eight-second clips directly within the platform.
All users receive 10 free Veo generations per month, while subscribers to Google AI Ultra and Workspace AI Ultra plans can generate up to 1,000 clips per month.
Projects can now be exported directly to YouTube, with finished videos set to private by default to allow for review before publication.
The update also introduces a Chrome browser extension for screen recording, which captures on-screen activity with accompanying audio or video, extending Vids beyond purely generative content into practical workplace documentation.
Earlier updates had already added Lyria 3 and Lyria 3 Pro, Google's music creation models, which allow users to generate sound effects and background music for their clips.
The additions reflect Google's effort to position Vids as a comprehensive enterprise content platform, moving the product beyond basic video editing toward a broader suite of generative audio and video capabilities since its launch.
Google faces a crowded market in AI-powered video and avatar creation, with established rivals including Synthesia, HeyGen and D-ID already offering similar enterprise-focused tools, alongside newer entrant Lemon Slice.
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The pace of updates to Vids suggests Google is moving quickly to close the feature gap with those competitors, particularly in avatar-based video generation, which has become a core use case for corporate communications, training and marketing content.
Whether the combination of deep integration with Google Workspace and YouTube's publishing infrastructure proves a sufficient differentiator against more specialised rivals remains to be seen.
The recap
- Google adds text-prompt avatar directing to Vids editing app
- Veo 3.1 generates eight-second clips and 10 free monthly generations
- Users can export finished videos to YouTube as private by default
