The effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) in increasing productivity is a topic of ongoing debate, but one area where AI has undoubtedly made significant strides is in reducing the amount of tedious "busy work" that professionals must undertake. A prime example of this is Google Slides, which can now generate presentations with just a prompt, simplifying a task that many people find time-consuming and frustrating.
While not all meetings require a formal slide presentation, many do, and Google is now offering a feature that enables users with Business and Enterprise Standard and Plus plans on Google Workspace, or a Google AI Pro or AI Ultra subscription, to generate a presentation from scratch. This feature, known as "generate presentation," is a significant upgrade to the default slideshow view that users will see if they do not have the necessary subscription.
Google's approach to AI-generated presentations differs from that of its competitor, Microsoft. While Microsoft's PowerPoint has offered a similar feature, known as "prompt-to-deck," for some time, it requires an AI subscription. In contrast, Google's format recognizes that the slideshow creation process is a collaborative effort between the user and Slides, with the user providing input and guidance.
When using Google Slides to generate a presentation, the user is presented with a series of cards that ask for source documents, length, and tone. This is a more interactive and user-friendly approach than Microsoft's, which simply uploads files to PowerPoint and asks the user to create the deck. Google's method allows the user to provide more specific input and guidance, resulting in a more tailored presentation.
One of the key benefits of Google Slides is its ability to adopt visual elements from earlier presentations, making it easier for businesses to maintain a consistent style. This feature is particularly useful for companies that require a high level of consistency in their presentations.
The impact of AI-generated presentations on productivity cannot be overstated. According to estimates, roughly 30 million to 35 million Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are created or delivered worldwide each day. While the exact time it takes to manually author a presentation has not been definitively nailed down, it is estimated to be around two hours for a casual internal briefing and four to six hours for a more standard deck. AI-generated presentations, on the other hand, can be created in just under 10 minutes.
The future of AI-generated presentations will depend on the quality of the output, and some users may be skeptical of the technology. However, saving an hour or two on a task that many people find tedious and time-consuming seems like a reasonable use of AI.
As professionals, we have seen the impact of technology on our daily lives, from GPS and mapping applications to AI-generated content. And while some may be hesitant to adopt AI-generated presentations, the benefits of increased productivity and reduced busy work are undeniable.
