Google just declared itself a contender in AI design at IO 2026

Google announced Pics at I/O 2026, a new Workspace app for generating and editing images with text prompts.

Pics uses Gemini for edits and Nano Banana 2 for image creation, aiming to make visual design easier inside Google Workspace.

The app will first roll out to testers, then expand to Google AI Ultra subscribers later this summer.

The launch positions Google to compete more directly in the AI design market with tools like Canva.