Google Pics takes on Canva with easy image generation, intuitive editing

Whether you like it or not, image generators are growing in popularity as people use them for invite images, event posters, and more. Gemini is a popular choice in this regard, but Google has now launched a brand-new app for Workspace users. Say hello to Google Pics, which looks like a rival to services like Canva.

Google Pics, not to be confused with Google Photos, is an AI image generation and design app that lets you synthesize images and designs that can be easily edited. The company says that each element of the generated image can be edited with a verbal or written prompt.

Google gave an example of generating an image for a birthday party. You can ask the app to generate the picture, and it will then churn out four options. From here, you can mouse over each element and click on the bits you’d like to change or request changes via text/verbal prompts. Text in an image can be edited by simply typing your changes, as you’d expect from other apps. The firm says once you’ve saved your changes, Gemini will give you the choice of JPG or PNG images along with options to print or share them.

This announcement comes as rival platform Canva also offers AI image generation and editing. Canva offers prompt-based editing, the ability to click on elements to tweak them, and background generation.

Google explains that this is just a web app for now, but adds that it will eventually be available as a mobile app. The company also says it wants to eventually bring Google Pics natively to other Workspace apps, so you wouldn’t have to download generated images and manually upload them to a different Google app.

Can’t wait to try Google Pics? The company says this app will be available to a limited group of “trusted testers” at I/O. However, AI Pro subscribers can give it a go when it launches later this summer.