Google makes its AI-powered video editing tool free for all: All the details

Google Vids

Google is expanding access to Vids, its AI-powered video editor, by rolling out a free version to all users. Previously limited to Workspace and AI plan subscribers, the tool is now available more broadly, offering templates, stock media, and some AI-assisted features. However, the most advanced AI capabilities will remain locked to paying customers, product director Vishnu Sivaji told The Verge.

Launched last year, Vids is Google’s newest addition to the Workspace suite. It is designed for creating video presentations with minimal effort, using AI to suggest storyboards, scenes, images, and background music. The free version includes much of this functionality but excludes some headline features introduced today, such as AI-generated avatars that can deliver a script on a user’s behalf. Instead, free users can choose from 12 pre-made avatars, each with distinct looks and voices, as per the report.

While Zoom already lets people generate avatars of themselves, Google isn’t ready to offer that capability. “We don’t have any further updates to share,” Sivaji said when asked if the feature is on the roadmap.

Other updates include the ability to generate short, eight-second promotional videos based on a single image and an AI-powered editing tool that automatically removes filler words and pauses from recorded clips. Google sees these additions as a way to reduce the cost and time involved in video production, especially for businesses producing demos, training modules, or customer support material.

Sivaji argues that AI-driven video production can be transformative: “A 10-minute-long clip with real actors can take six months and tens of thousands of dollars. What we’re hearing from customers is that this allows them to dramatically scale how many people can make these videos and how often," he told The Verge.