If you're looking for an AI-generated video platform that gives you fine-grained control over how your video looks, then you might want to check out HeyGen. Launched just over two years ago, the company recently announced the new AI Studio, featuring an AI-native editor that allows for fine-tuning of a much wider range than other solutions support.
CEO Joshua Xu co-founded HeyGen about four and a half years ago. He came from Snap, where he worked as an AI computer vision researcher and engineer, focusing on features like filters and lenses (remember Babyface, anyone?). During his time there, he was inspired by the idea that it was possible to remove the barriers of camera equipment or expensive filming studios for visual content creation yet still produce high-quality video.
HeyGen officially launched two and a half years ago with a platform that uses AI to generate videos, including hyper-realistic avatars and digital twins.
The launch of the AI Studio brings even more functionality to people who lack video editing experience. The Studio is designed to simplify video editing by making it as straightforward as creating a document, Xu explains:
The quality must be high, ensuring the human doesn't look like a robot AI. It actually needs to be engaging, with expression, and using your own voice tone, as well as gestures and your body motion.
You can make any type of video using HeyGen, but its primary focus is on human-first storytelling, where a person is at the center of the video. Xu says that human-centric video models are designed for human speaking, presentation, and delivery.
Most business videos are comprised of an A-roll and a B-roll. The A-roll typically films the actor. Then, you add the B-roll behind it, such as a product shot, an illustration, or a similar visual. Xu adds:
When we say we want to start it from solving the camera problem, what we really mean to say is that we are building the human central video model. This means we want to build a video model that's specifically for human speaking, human presentation, and human delivery.
There are, however, a couple of aspects that are particularly important. The quality needs to be very, very good in terms of, like, this human doesn't look like a robot or AI. It actually needs to be engaging when they talk to the customers. And it needs to have a good expression, your own voice tone, as well as your gestures, things like that."
HeyGen built the human-centered video model. By adding the AI Studio, you can now take that A-roll content and add B-roll content to it, creating a complete business video. And you do it all without a camera.
The AI Studio gives you complete control over all animations, and this control is built against the script timeline, so you have precise control down to the word or sentence level. Xu says that traditional editing is tied to a linear timeline, so you don't have as much control over the editing process.
HeyGen videos feature humans who convey expression, voice tone, gestures, and body motion -- elements that you, as the video editor, have full control over. However, you can also incorporate B-roll content, such as logos, product screenshots, and diagrams, and control where and how they appear in the video.
There are several key features of the AI Studio:
All this editing is done through natural language prompting, explains Xu:
You don't need to be very good at prompting because all you need to do is just tell us how you want the voice to sound. For example, you can specify an emotion like excitement, or you want to be calm, or you want to deliver a different emotion. Our AI would take care of that and even help you to write a prompt to control the voice.
HeyGen can also create videos in over 170 languages. You can translate existing videos by dubbing content and matching the original speaker's voice and facial expressions. For new videos, you can have your digital twin speak multiple languages, or you can generate region-specific avatars.
The idea of a digital twin concerns some people because anyone can build one and create a fake version of you in a video. However, HeyGen has safeguards in place to ensure the safe and ethical use of digital twins.
There is a standard operating procedures (SOP) pipeline that requires first-party video consent for every digital twin, where individuals must authorize the use of their avatar. HeyGen also features a comprehensive content moderation system that begins with AI monitoring and auto-flagging or prohibiting content related to fraud, political misinformation, child abuse, and illicit activities. There is also a 24/7 human moderation team that reviews anything the AI is unsure about.
Everything we've seen so far involves some level of human interaction. But what if you could create a video with just a prompt? That's what's coming next from HeyGen.
The company is waitlisting its next product: The HeyGen Video Agent, a prompt-native creative engine that will build you a complete, publish-ready video from a single idea.
This agent writes the script, creates the images and voiceover, and handles all editing and transitions.
There are positives and negatives to AI-generated video, especially when you have an avatar or digital twin at the center of it. You may sit on one side or the other. But somewhere in between, there is a need to understand the value this kind of video brings.
Not every person wants to be in front of the camera. They don't have the time or are camera-shy, or there's some other reason. The idea of forcing them into a room to film is hard, and so is the cost of that filming. Yet, video is growing in demand. People want to see people; they want to hear from them.
If there's a way for companies that don't have the funds for film studios, video agencies, or people willing to go in front of a camera, why can't they use solutions like this? When they are done well, they work. And tools like HeyGen, which democratizes the capability to make videos, are a good thing.
