Google is quietly building an AI version of Canva inside Workspace and Nano Banana could make it seriously useful

Date:
Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:35:00 +0000

Description:
Google Pics brings Nano Banana-powered image creation and editing directly into Workspace, giving Canva a potentially formidable new rival.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Google Pics lets you generate and precisely edit images using simple text prompts It will be integrated directly into Google Docs, Slides and Drive Pics is rolling out to Google AI Pro, Ultra and eligible Workspace customers Google has started rolling out Pics, a new AI-powered image creation and editing tool that looks like the companys answer to Canva and even Adobe Express .

Canva became enormously popular by enabling ordinary people to produce good-looking graphics without needing professional design skills. Google Pics is attempting something similar, but rather than giving you a huge library of templates and asking you to assemble a design yourself, it puts AI at the center of the entire process. Pics isnt as fully featured as Canva, at least from what Google has shown so far. However, its included with Google AI Pro and Ultra subscriptions and selected Workspace business plans and that could prove to be its biggest advantage. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: All AI, no templates Pics starts with a prompt. You describe what you want to create, perhaps a childs birthday invitation, an event poster or
a social media graphic, and the AI generates several versions for you to choose from.

You can then select individual objects or pieces of text and ask Pics to change them without regenerating the entire image. Text can be edited, reformatted or translated while preserving the surrounding design, and images can be cropped for different formats or upscaled to 2K or 4K . You can also request several changes at once and return to an earlier version if the results go wrong. You may like Google takes aim at Canva and Adobe as its AI image editor Pics gets an official rollout date Google's speedy new AI image model changes everything Google pulls Nano Banana from Google Earth after one day

While some people will dislike how heavily Pics relies on generative AI, others may appreciate how much of the traditional design process it removes. Instead of learning how to use layers, masks and selection tools, you can simply describe the change you want.

Google Pics is powered by Nano Banana, Geminis image generation and editing model. You can see how it works in this video: Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Say hello to Google Pics from Google
Workspace - YouTube Watch On Why Workspace changes the equation The biggest difference between Pics and Canva is that Pics isnt being positioned only as
a standalone design app. Google is also integrating its editing tools
directly into Docs and Slides, with deeper Drive integration arriving over
the coming weeks.

That means youll be able to select an image in a presentation or document and edit it using Pics without opening another app. If an image in a document is too dark, for example, you could ask Pics to lighten it while remaining
inside Google Docs. Creations can also be shared and edited collaboratively
in much the same way as other Workspace files.

That integration is what makes Pics potentially significant. Canva remains a much broader and more mature design platform, complete with templates and tools covering everything from presentations to websites and video. Pics doesnt need to replace all of that, however. It only needs to make Google users wonder whether opening Canva is still necessary for the everyday
graphic theyre trying to create.

Google Pics is rolling out over the coming weeks to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, as well as eligible Workspace business and education customers. Im still waiting for it to reach my account, but Ill be putting it through
its paces as soon as it does. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/google-is-quietly-building-a n-ai-version-of-canva-inside-workspace-and-nano-banana-could-make-it-seriously -useful


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