YouTube has begun rolling out a new AI-powered feature that allows creators generate a digital avatar with his own face and his own voiceDesigned to allow users to star in videos on the platform without having to be in front of the camera for each recording, the tool, called My Avatar, uses Google's AI to clone the user's appearance and voice through a brief recording process.
The rollout of this new feature is being carried out gradually on mobile phones in almost every country in the world, although Europe is left out for nowIn Spain, for the moment, the option does not appear in either the main YouTube app or YouTube Create, which forces those who want to try it to resort to solutions such as a VPN and connect from countries where it is available.
What is My Avatar and why is it coming to YouTube now?
My Avatar is the new system with which YouTube allows users create a highly realistic digital version of themselves who will look and sound virtually identical to the original person. The idea is that this virtual double can be used to produce short videos without needing to record oneself each time, something especially geared towards creators who publish a lot of Shorts.
The feature relies on Gemini technology and Google's Veo video model, which process the image and voice captured by the mobile device. In this way, The production is now integrated directly into YouTubeThe creator no longer needs to use other external AI services to generate the video and then upload it to their channel.
YouTube's move comes at a time when other AI-powered video generation projects, such as OpenAI's Sora, have lost presence or have simply ceased to be available. Google takes advantage of that gap by offering an alternative integrated into its own ecosystem., with the intention of attracting creators who until now have relied on external tools to produce their content.
According to the company, My Avatar is designed so that creators can maintain their on-screen identity even when they can't record themselves in a traditional way. The platform emphasizes that avatars are created and used “in a secure and confidential manner”However, the decision to exclude Europe suggests that there are still open fronts regarding regulation and data protection.
How avatar creation with your face and voice works
To generate the avatar, YouTube has established a process of “live selfie”The user must record themselves with the phone's front camera while the app captures both the video and audio. This recording can be done from the main YouTube app or from YouTube Create, and only needs to be set up once.
In the YouTube app, the process begins by tapping the Create button. Among the options, you'll find the Gemini icon, and within it, the feature “Make a video with my avatar”From there, the tool guides the user to record themselves on video saying a series of predetermined phrases that serve to capture expressions, movements, and nuances of the voice.
Although it has not yet been widely tested in Spain, YouTube indicates that The process includes detailed recommendations To achieve good results: adequate lighting, correct framing, speaking naturally, etc. If the result is not satisfactory, the creator can repeat the recording as many times as desired until they achieve a version they are comfortable with.
Once the live selfie is complete, the AI generates a model of the creator and links it to their channel. The avatar is saved and available for future videos, so that You don't need to go through the same process every time.From that moment on, it will be enough to give the AI instructions in the form of text for it to produce new clips with the user's face and voice.
What kind of videos can be created with My Avatar?
For now, the use of avatars is focused on the youtube shortsThe creator can ask Gemini to generate a clip from a prompt, that is, a written instruction with the idea or script for the video. The AI takes care of assembling the content, using the avatar as the protagonist, without the user having to re-record themselves.
In addition to creating videos from scratch, the platform allows you to use your avatar to reimagine existing ShortsIf the creator finds a short video they like, they can use the "Remix" and "Reimagine" options to have the AI generate a similar version, but with their own avatar acting as the presenter or narrator.
There are, however, clear limitations. Each clip generated with My Avatar has a maximum duration of 8 secondsHowever, several pieces can be linked together as scenes to build a longer video, similar to how other AI video tools worked in their latest versions before disappearing.
The tool is designed exclusively for vertical format and for Shorts; for now, It does not extend to traditional long videos. nor to the horizontal format. This reduces the computational cost for Google and keeps usage limited, but it also forces creators to continue recording conventionally if they want to maintain their long-form content.
In any case, YouTube's approach is that the avatar acts as an occasional substitute for the creator: allows maintaining an active channel presence with new content even if the author doesn't have the time, equipment, or desire to constantly record in front of the camera.
Requirements, privacy, and control over the avatar
Access to My Avatar is not limited by number of followers or channel metrics: Any user with a YouTube channel can use itprovided they meet two basic conditions. First, they must be over 18 years old. Second, the account must be located in a region where the service is available, which currently excludes all countries in the European Union.
Regarding privacy, YouTube emphasizes that only the channel owner You can use your avatar to create videosIt is not possible for other accounts to reuse that digital model, not even for collaborations. Furthermore, the user retains control to delete the avatar whenever they deem it appropriate.
However, avatar management and the management of generated videos are handled separately. This means that Deleting the avatar does not automatically delete the videos that were published with it, and removing a specific Short doesn't eliminate the associated digital model. The creator must decide in each case which content to keep and which to remove.
All videos created with My Avatar are visibly marked as AI generated contentYouTube insists on this mandatory label so that viewers know they are watching a computer-generated image and not a traditional recording. This aims to prevent confusion and responds to growing demands for transparency in the use of artificial intelligence.
Image and voice capture, based on the user's biometric data, is one of the reasons why the service has not yet been activated in Europe. strictest data protection regulations on the continent They seem to be holding Google back, which prefers to leave the system on hold in the region rather than launch it without having fully addressed the legal implications.
Why is Europe left out… for now
The absence of My Avatar in Europe adds to a growing list of AI services that They arrive later or are never released at all. in the Old Continent. In this case, the decision means that the function is deployed “worldwide, except in Europe,” as acknowledged by various sources close to the development.
Behind this exclusion lies the difficulty of reconciling the collection and processing of biometric data (face, voice, gestures) with the requirements of regulations such as General Regulation of Data Protection (RGPD) and similar debates Australian ban on social media for minorsGoogle would need additional guarantees regarding consent, storage, and use of that information, something that, as of today, it does not seem to have completely resolved.
For European creators, the situation is becoming frustrating. While in other regions they can already experiment with hyperrealistic avatars, advanced video generation, or new creative toolsIn Spain and the rest of the EU, these functions remain in advertisements that never materialize in the applications.
Some users resort to VPNs to simulate a location in countries where My Avatar is operational, but this practice clashes with the platform terms of use And it raises further questions about where and how personal data is stored. For now, the most prudent option for European creators is to wait for YouTube to adapt the service to the European Union's regulatory framework.
Meanwhile, Google continues to advance parallel solutions, such as the custom avatar tool in its Vids app, capable of generating coherent characters from text instructions, at a time when platforms like Horizon worlds They've changed their approach. Everything points to that The company is building a complete ecosystem AI-powered video creation, but its full arrival in Europe will depend on how these legal frictions are resolved.
Taken together, the My Avatar feature puts YouTube at the heart of the race for AI-generated videos, offering any creator the possibility of having a digital “double” that speaks and moves like them. Global expansion, integration with Gemini and Veo, and current limitations—from clips of only 8 seconds to its complete absence in Europe—paint a picture in which Content creation is changing significantly, but it still has many unknowns. on privacy, regulation and the real role these avatars will play in the day-to-day operations of the channels.
