Google unveiled Pics at I/O 2026, a Workspace-native AI image generator and editor powered by Nano Banana 2. The tool lets users generate images, then move, resize, translate, or edit individual elements without rebuilding the whole image.
Google has announced Pics, a new AI image generator and editor built directly into Google Workspace. The company unveiled the product at its I/O 2026 developer conference on Tuesday and said it is designed to compete with Canva and Adobe Express on design and editing workflows.
Pics is powered by Nano Banana 2, Google’s image model. Google said the model is a good fit for the app because it supports precise text rendering, real-world knowledge, and detailed visual output.
Pics matters because it is Google’s attempt to put AI image generation inside the tools many companies already use for work. Workspace is Google’s business software suite, and Slides is the presentation app, so this could make image editing faster for teams that already live in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. The “localised object editing” feature means users can change part of an image instead of regenerating the whole thing, which is a big shift in how these tools are used.
If your team builds internal automation around Workspace, plan for image generation to become part of the Slides workflow instead of a separate design step. Build your agents so they can create prompts, store generated assets in Drive, and keep track of which parts of an image were edited locally. If you handle branded content, add checks for text rendering and translation accuracy, since Google is explicitly pitching Pics on those capabilities.
The main selling point is post-generation editing. Users can create an image from a text prompt and then move, resize, or transform individual objects inside the composition without starting over. They can also modify and translate embedded text, or update specific areas of an image while keeping the rest intact.
Google described that feature as localized object editing, and positioned it as the core difference between Pics and earlier AI image tools that force users into a generate-and-regenerate workflow. The company appears to be targeting users who want more control after the first draft is created, rather than a single-shot output.
Workspace integration is the other major part of the launch. Google said Pics will be built into Google Slides for in-deck image generation and editing, and that creations can be saved directly to Google Drive for sharing. The company has not confirmed a Google Docs launch surface yet, although broader Workspace support is implied.
Rollout will begin with Google’s Workspace Experiments programme, where a small group of early-access testers can try the product first. Administrators in Workspace organisations can opt their tenants in by enabling Gemini Alpha features, according to Google.
General availability is planned for “the coming months” for Workspace customers on Business Standard and higher plans, as well as Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Google has not disclosed separate pricing for Pics, and has not said whether it will require an additional add-on beyond those plans.
Pics extends Google’s Nano Banana family of image tools. The company has been shipping the Gemini app over the past year, and is now using Nano Banana 2 for a more control-focused product aimed at design and workplace use cases.
PetaPixel, which reviewed the product walkthrough, said the gap between Pics and OpenAI’s image-generation feature inside ChatGPT is more about workflow than model quality. According to that walkthrough, ChatGPT is faster at generation, while Pics gives users more direct control over what they want to change after the first image is created.
Google is also keeping provenance in view. The company has used SynthID watermarking on its generative-image output since 2023, and OpenAI adopted C2PA earlier this year. Google has not published a separate provenance statement for Pics, but the Workspace framing suggests it may use the same SynthID-by-default setup as the wider Gemini family.
There are still several details Google has not disclosed. The company has not published a per-tenancy rollout timeline beyond “the coming months,” nor has it said whether Pics is included at no extra cost in existing Workspace and AI subscription tiers or whether usage caps will apply. Google also has not released a model card, benchmark data, or a detailed statement on whether the editing tools will later expand to Docs or Gmail.
