I Cloned Myself With Gemini’s AI Avatar Tool. The Result Was Unnervingly Me
Key takeaways
- While the man in this AI video looks and sounds just like me, the clip was actually generated using one of the new features available in Google’s Gemini app: avatars.
- I pay $20 a month for Google’s AI Pro plan and quickly maxed out Gemini’s usage limits, which reset every 5 hours.
- My first two glimpses of what Omni can do with my likeness were of me singing to a dino in San Francisco and surfing under the Golden Gate Bridge.
Why this matters: a development in AI with implications for how people work, create, and decide.
Photgraph: Matteo Della Torre/Getty Images Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story It’s a beautiful, balmy afternoon at Dolores Park in San Francisco, and I’m singing a birthday song to a prehistoric dinosaur. A cupcake with a pink candle magically appears in my empty hand as I finish my serenade. When I blow out the flame, a calm look of contentment washes over the CGI-esque creature.
While the man in this AI video looks and sounds just like me, the clip was actually generated using one of the new features available in Google’s Gemini app: avatars. These digital recreations are similar to the core features of OpenAI’s now-defunct Sora app. It’s a digital clone of you that can be inserted into AI videos. Avatars are powered by the company’s new Omni video model, and the feature is only available to subscribers.
I pay $20 a month for Google’s AI Pro plan and quickly maxed out Gemini’s usage limits, which reset every 5 hours. I simply asked a few questions and generated two 10-second clips featuring my avatar, before I was told to wait until later.