Creating a professional presentation using Google Slides takes time and design skills. While the app provides professional pre-designed templates for business, personal, and school use, adding a picture with Google’s Gemini AI is an easy way to add visual flair to your slides. This feature is only available on the desktop version of Google Slides. You can access it on all computers, including affordable Chromebooks, ideal for working remotely on a budget. Here’s how to use AI to generate images in Google Slides.



How to access Gemini in Google Slides

AI image generation with Gemini isn’t available in Google Slides by default. To access Gemini in Google Slides, you need access to one of the following Google AI programs:


All Gemini AI features are only available in English but can be accessed worldwide. Google Workspace Labs is free, but access is limited.

The easiest way to access Gemini in Google Slides is a Google One AI Premium subscription for a personal account. This service is free for two months, after which it costs $20 a month. In addition to all Gemini tools and 2TB of Google One storage, you also get other benefits.

Text introducing the Gemini app displayed on a Google Pixel 8

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How to use AI to generate images in Google Slides

To get started, check that you’re signed in to your Google Account, have access to Gemini, and open Google Slides.



  1. Click the Create image with Gemini button in the toolbar. Alternatively, click Insert > Image > Create image with Gemini.
    google slides blank slide
  2. Enter a prompt in the text box on the right of your screen.
  3. Click Create.
    google slides gemini window
  4. Wait for Gemini to generate four images based on your prompt. The process usually takes no longer than 20 seconds.
  5. Click an image to insert it into the active slide.
    four images of red owls generated with gemini in Google Slides

The image can now be edited like any image in Google Slides, including cropping, rotating, and adjusting transparency settings. Click View more to generate another four images (this doesn’t remove the ones already generated).

Add feedback by clicking the
thumbs-up
or
thumbs-down
icon on each image.


Tips for using AI to generate images in Google Slides

Gemini is a handy tool for adding relevant images quickly to Google Slides. Like any AI image generator, it requires specific prompts to generate the image you want.


Use specific details when creating prompts

Use descriptive words to generate the right image. Think of features you can see or feel. Colors, shapes, texture, and lighting are important elements of an image that you can add to your prompt. For example, “red vase with a rough surface on a windowsill in the morning” is a better prompt than “vase on a windowsill.”

images of vases generated with gemini in google slides

Add styles to fine-tune the output

Underneath the text box is the Add a style drop-down menu. Selecting an option from this list generates an image in a style such as a watercolor or sketch.

Check previously generated images

Google Slides saves your generated images in the sidebar for your session. Scroll down to see all the images you generated. These disappear when you refresh or close the page.




Generate beautiful presentations in minutes

Gemini’s AI image generation and Google Slides’ premade templates let you focus on the presentation’s content. Gemini does more than generate images. It powers various features across Google’s apps. Try these Gemini tips and tricks for translation, document generation, video analysis, and more.