Google Just Declared Itself A Contender In AI Design At IO 2026

Google introduced at its annual Google I/O event on Tuesday that it’s launching Pics, a brand new AI-powered design and image-generation app for Google Workspace. The tech large says it designed the app to be accessible to everybody, from lecturers to small enterprise homeowners.

With Pics, customers can generate all the pieces from social media graphics and invites to advertising supplies and mock-ups utilizing easy textual content prompts, with no need any modifying expertise or superior instruments. By giving customers a straightforward technique to generate visuals, Google is seeking to tackle standard design apps like Canva, in addition to merchandise from AI-native rivals like Claude Design from Anthropic. Google’s entry into the area alerts that AI-powered design is quick changing into a core aggressive area — with actual stakes for any enterprise that is dependent upon visible content material.

The brand new app is launching to a bunch of testers at I/O and shall be rolling out to Google AI Extremely subscribers this summer season, Google says.

The corporate acknowledges that though AI fashions at the moment can generate high-quality photographs, it’s nonetheless troublesome to change only one a part of a picture. For those who get a picture that’s nearly good however wish to change a small element, you must write a completely new immediate and hope the AI doesn’t alter an excessive amount of. That’s why Pics not solely generates photographs but additionally makes them simply editable.

Customers can enter a immediate, and Pics will generate what they want. Gemini powers the modifying layer, making each factor in a generated design or picture absolutely adjustable. You may write a brand new immediate to make modifications, however you may as well merely click on the half you wish to change and go away a remark — very similar to leaving suggestions in Google Docs.

You may as well edit instantly, with out leaving a remark or writing a immediate. For instance, if you happen to create a celebration invitation and wish to change the time listed on the cardboard, you are able to do so manually.

Pics is powered by Nano Banana 2, which Google says is a powerful match for the app as a result of it helps exact textual content rendering, real-world information, and detailed visible output. Pics can be constructed natively into Google Workspace, enabling visible collaboration throughout its apps.

When you’re joyful along with your design, you may obtain, copy, print, or share it with others. You may as well move it to another person for a last spherical of edits earlier than it goes out, Google says.