Google announced a major expansion of its generative-AI creation tools, making a basic version of its Vids video editor free for all users and formally releasing the image-editing model long nicknamed “Nano Banana” as Gemini 2.5 Flash Image. The moves bundle easier access for creators with new, premium AI features aimed at businesses.
Free Vids: wider access, paid power features
Google Vids — originally part of Workspace — is now available in a streamlined free tier that includes core editing controls, templates, stock media and basic export options, while advanced AI capabilities remain behind business and AI plan subscriptions. The free rollout is intended to democratize simple video creation and has arrived after the tool achieved over a million monthly active users during its Workspace-only phase.
What the free tier offers
Basic timeline editing, templates and stock assets for short videos.
Premium AI features for paying customers
Advanced features powered by Google’s Veo 3 model: AI avatars that can read scripts; automatic transcript trimming to remove filler words and pauses; and image-to-eight-second-video transforms with generated audio. These capabilities are packaged for Business, Enterprise and AI Pro subscribers.
"Nano Banana" becomes Gemini 2.5 Flash Image — consistency is the headline
The model developers at Google DeepMind officially named the once-secret “nano banana” as Gemini 2.5 Flash Image. The model has quickly climbed industry leaderboards for image editing thanks to markedly better preservation of subject likeness — faces, pets and object details remain consistent across multiple edits, addressing a persistent weakness in previous systems.
Capabilities and safeguards
Multi-turn editing, style transfer and photo blending enable iterative, natural-language edits while retaining identity fidelity. All Gemini 2.5-generated or -edited images include visible and invisible SynthID watermarks to denote AI-created content.
Business implications and market positioning
Google frames these updates as a cost-and-time reducer for businesses that rely on video and image production: what once required months and large budgets can now be scaled rapidly with AI-assisted workflows. The move also places Google in starker competition with incumbents such as Adobe and a growing set of AI-first startups across content creation and enterprise tooling.
What to expect next
Broader adoption of short-form, AI-generated video content for training, marketing and sales; continued differentiation between free consumer tiers and paid enterprise-grade AI features; and intensified product competition across generative-AI creators.
Editor's Comments
Google’s twin announcements balance accessibility and monetization: a free Vids tier lowers the barrier for everyday creators, while Veo 3 and Gemini 2.5 Flash Image provide premium capabilities that are especially valuable for businesses that need scale and brand consistency.
Gemini 2.5’s focus on identity preservation remedies a major user pain point and could accelerate trust and adoption for image editing tasks — but detection markers like SynthID will remain important as regulators and platforms refine rules around disclosure and copyright.
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