Google Vids gets photorealistic avatars to rival HeyGen

google updated google vids to allow the creation of custom digital avatars using just a selfie and a voice recording, integrating the gemini omni model for multi-modal video generation and editing. the tool now supports reference image inputs to create scenes, modify backgrounds, fix lighting, and enable step-by-step conversational edits without restarting the project. these avatars use synthid watermarking and are tied to the specific user's google account to prevent impersonation, with access restricted to users 18 and older in select regions. this evolution transforms vids from a simple presentation aide into a comprehensive video creation platform, directly challenging established ai video startups like heygen, d-id, and synthesia in the enterprise content space.