Google has unveiled its latest application, Google Vids, at the Next ’24 trade fair in Las Vegas. The app is designed to allow users to create videos as easily as they would a slide presentation.

Google Vids operates under a simple yet innovative principle: if you can create a presentation, you can also make a video. This functionality stems from the integration of Google’s AI assistant, Gemini, which assists users in creating engaging video content without prior video production experience.

Kristina Behr, a product manager for Google Workspace, emphasized the app’s ease of use in a statement quoted by The Verge, “The ethos that we have is, if you can make a slide, you can make a video in Vids. No video production is required.” Google aims to make video creation accessible to all users with this new tool, which will be available from Google Workspace Labs starting this June.

How Google Vids Works

Previously, Google had integrated its AI assistant, Gemini, into Workspace to enhance various functionalities. In Vids, Gemini plays a crucial role by helping users to describe their video through text input, akin to interacting with chatbots or using image creation tools like Dall-E.

To start a project in Google Vids, users can upload documents or a presentation on the desired topic. The app then supplements this with appropriate stock videos, images, and background music. Users also have the option to add their own material.

Gemini creates an initial storyboard, suggesting thematic sub-points and their sequence. It also advises on the effectiveness of using moving images versus displaying text. Users can adjust this suggested order using a drag-and-drop interface, allowing for manual intervention at any stage of the video creation process.

After laying out the basic structure, users can choose from various templates that match the content’s nature, such as product demonstrations or team introductions. Completing the video involves adding sound, which can be a user’s own voice or a pre-installed voice fed through text-to-speech technology. Initially, the available voices will only be in English, offering choices between an “energetic” American, a “calm” British, or an “excited” Australian accent.

With Vids, Google introduces a fourth major tool to its Workspace suite, joining Docs, Sheets, and Slides. These tools have reshaped daily tasks not only within Google but across various platforms, including Microsoft’s offerings like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.