Google has unveiled an AI-powered feature on YouTube Shorts that enables content creators to produce short videos using their digital avatars. The tool, titled ‘Make a video with my avatar,’ is accessible via the YouTube app and YouTube Create, beginning its rollout this Wednesday. It will soon be available for most users, leveraging Google’s Veo 3.1 video model, currently exclusive to Shorts and the YouTube Create app.
According to a spokesperson from YouTube speaking to Decrypt, ‘The avatar feature provides an easier method for users to safely and securely appear in their videos, enhancing our existing creative tools.’ Each video clip, created through prompts, can last up to eight seconds. However, users have the option to combine multiple clips for longer content.
This tool is available to YouTube channel owners who are at least 18 years old. Initially launching globally outside of Europe on mobile devices, broader access is anticipated soon. Only the account owner may use their avatar to generate videos, which can be deleted anytime; however, existing videos remain online unless manually removed. Clips will feature AI disclosures and digital watermarks indicating AI generation.
As generative video technologies proliferate within the tech sphere, companies like Synthesia, ElevenLabs, and HeyGen are offering platforms for creating videos with AI presenters. The increasing prevalence of realistic AI-generated content also raises concerns about deepfakes, prompting firms to introduce labels and watermarks on AI-created media.
The integration of sophisticated video AI tools comes at a significant cost. For instance, OpenAI closed its Sora video app after six months due to an operational expenditure of $15 million per day, as the company refocused efforts on developing AGI.
This rollout aligns with YouTube’s broader strategy to enhance AI capabilities for creators. In January, CEO Neal Mohan outlined the platform’s 2026 priorities in a letter, stating plans to expand AI-powered tools that enable creators to produce Shorts using their likeness. ‘AI will act as a bridge between curiosity and understanding,’ he commented. ‘Ultimately, our focus is on ensuring AI serves the people who make YouTube great: the creators, artists, partners, and billions of viewers seeking to capture, experience, and share deeper connections with the world around them.’