Google brings AI-powered image generation to Google Docs with Imagen 3

Google is taking creativity in its Workspace tools to the next level with the rollout of Gemini’s image generation feature in Google Docs.

Using its Imagen 3 model, Google is giving paid Workspace users the ability to create photorealistic custom images directly within Google Docs, offering a potential replacement for stock images in professional and creative projects.

This follows the company’s successful introduction of AI-generated visuals in Google Slides with the “Help me visualize” tool in August.

In a blog post, Google highlighted that users can now create unique inline images and full-bleed cover images through simple text prompts, making it easier than ever to customize documents with photorealistic imagery.

This feature is particularly useful for creating visually engaging documents including images for restaurant menus, marketing briefs, or promotional materials.

Cover images, however, require activating Docs’ pageless mode, which allows the AI-generated image to span the full document width.

Unfortunately, this feature is not available to free users. For now, text-to-image generation in Docs is exclusive to paid users. Access is available to subscribers of Google Workspace Business, Enterprise, Education Premium, or Google One AI Premium. Google noted that the rollout is gradual and may take time to reach all eligible accounts, particularly those on scheduled Workspace release timelines.

With these enhancements, Google is doubling down on its mission to make Workspace tools smarter and more creative since it first integrated its Gemini AI model into Google Workspace in June 2024. This integration has seen its tools including Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drive receive AI capabilities enabling tasks like summarizing, analyzing, and generating content.

Meanwhile, its major competition, Microsoft, already offers AI-powered image generation in Word and PowerPoint, integrated through Microsoft Designer and Copilot. Powered by OpenAI's DALL-E 3, users can create and insert AI-generated images directly into documents or slides by simply describing what they need.

Beyond image generation, Microsoft has also integrated its AI assistant, Copilot, into numerous tools across its suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams

While Google's approach to introducing these AI capabilities has been more laidback, it does seem to be catching up with these recent updates.