Google launches Pics, AI design app for Workspace powered by Nano Banana 2

Google announced Pics at its I/O conference on Tuesday, an AI-powered design and image-generation app integrated directly into Google Workspace. The app generates social media graphics, invitations, marketing materials, and mock-ups from text prompts.

Pics is powered by Nano Banana 2 for image generation, which Google says supports precise text rendering, real-world knowledge, and detailed visual output. Gemini powers the editing layer, making every element in generated designs adjustable.

Editing approach

Google acknowledges a core limitation of current AI image generation: modifying a single element typically requires writing an entirely new prompt, often altering unintended parts of the image. Pics addresses this with three editing methods:

1. Comment-based editing similar to Google Docs feedback
2. Prompt-based modifications for specific elements
3. Direct manual editing of text and other components

Users can click any part of a generated design and leave a comment describing desired changes, or edit elements like text directly without additional prompts.

Availability and pricing

Pics launches to testers at I/O 2026 and will roll out to Google AI Ultra subscribers this summer, according to Google. Pricing for Google AI Ultra was not disclosed.

The app integrates natively with Google Workspace, enabling collaboration across Google's productivity suite. Users can download, copy, print, or share designs, or pass them to collaborators for additional edits before distribution.

Competitive landscape

The launch positions Google against established design platforms like Canva and AI-native competitors including Anthropic's Claude Design. Google frames the app as accessible to users without editing skills or design experience, targeting teachers, small business owners, and other non-professional designers.

What this means

Google's entry into AI-powered design tools signals the company views visual content creation as a critical competitive arena alongside text generation and coding assistance. By embedding Pics directly into Workspace rather than launching a standalone product, Google leverages its existing enterprise distribution while competing on a feature level with both traditional design software and newer AI-first competitors. The comment-based editing interface represents an attempt to solve the "regeneration problem" that plagues current AI image generators, though real-world effectiveness remains to be tested beyond the conference demo environment.