- Google Docs got started using Gemini to generate images last year, delivering a desktop tool.
- This month, that’s expanding to Google Docs on Android.
- You’ll need an AI Pro, AI Ultra, or supported Business or Education plan to take advantage.
Generative AI is a reality, and while it’s probably too soon to categorically declare it “here to stay” (tastes do change, after all), this is one genie you’re going to have a bit of trouble getting back in the bottle. The controversy surrounding it isn’t likely to die down either, but many of us are starting to identify places where we find leaning on AI for some extra help to be acceptable — we may not want to go see a movie full of AI simulants, but asking AI to save us from digging through piles of clip art for the perfect image might make perfect sense.
Google got this effort started well over a year ago, first delivering an AI-powered tool in Docs for generating cover images. Then last fall, Google Docs expanded its use of Gemini and Imagen to be more general-purpose, letting you easily create pics to insert in your documents. That was pretty powerful, but at the time it only existed as a desktop solution.