Google announced the annual Google I/O event on Tuesday is introducing Pics, a new AI-powered design and image creation app for Google Workspace. The tech giant says the app is designed to be accessible to everyone from teachers to small business owners.
With Pics, users can create everything from social media graphics and invitations to marketing materials and mockups using simple text prompts, without the need for any editing skills or advanced tools. By providing an easy way for users to create visuals, Google wants to take on popular design software like Canva, as well as products from local competitors based on artificial intelligence. Claude Design From Anthropic. Google’s entry into the space shows that AI-powered design is fast becoming a major competitive arena – with real stakes for any business that depends on visual content.
Google says the new app is being rolled out to a group of testers at I/O and will be rolling out to Google AI Ultra subscribers this summer.
The company admits that while AI models can generate high-quality images today, it’s still difficult to change just one part of an image. If you get an almost perfect picture, but want to change a small detail, you have to write a completely new command and hope that the AI doesn’t change too much. That’s why Pics not only creates images, but also makes them easily editable.
Users can enter a request and Images will generate what they need. Gemini powers the editing layer, making every element in the generated design or image fully adjustable. You can post a new request to make changes, but you can also simply click on the part you want to change and leave a comment – like giving feedback in Google Docs.
You can also edit directly without leaving a comment or writing a request. For example, if you create a birthday party invitation and want to change the time displayed on the card, you can do so manually.
Images are powered by Nano Banana 2, which Google says is a strong fit for this app because it supports accurate text rendering, real-world knowledge, and detailed visual output. Pics is also built natively into Google Workspace, enabling visual collaboration between its apps.
Once you’re happy with your design, you can download, copy, print, or share it with others. Google says you can pass it on to someone else for a final edit before it’s finished.
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