Did you know Google has two ai tools that can generate a full presentation in seconds, and they’re free? If you’ve ever lost an evening to slide layouts, font pairing, and searching for “one decent infographic,” this workflow feels like a reset.
In this guide, you’ll see two different ways to build presentations fast:
- Google Gemini 3, which can generate a slide deck inside its interface (as long as you turn on the right mode)
- Google NotebookLM, which can turn your PDFs and web sources into a “Slide Deck” automatically
- A simple combo: use NotebookLM for research and outlining, then use Gemini for design and exporting
The walkthrough is based on a demo shared by Pervaiz Durrani from Gurru Tech Solutions, showing how to go from idea to editable slides, and even export to PowerPoint when you need it.
Tool 1: Google Gemini 3, create a presentation from one prompt
Gemini 3 can generate a full presentation for you, including slide structure and visual layout, but the output depends heavily on your prompt and one specific setting inside the interface.
Step 1: Write a prompt that tells Gemini exactly what to build
In the demo, the topic is “AI’s impact on humanity,” and the request is for 12 slides. That slide count matters because it forces a complete structure instead of a short summary.
A solid prompt includes three things: structure, coverage, and tone.
Here’s the structure used in the video:
- Define the slide count: Ask for 12 slides (or whatever you need).
- Spell out the slide roles: Slide 1 is a title slide (title, subtitle, presenter info), then the rest are content slides.
- List the key topics to cover: Tell Gemini the areas you want included (human life, society, future, and so on).
- Set the tone: Ask for a professional, informative, balanced style that fits business or academic use.
That last piece helps a lot because it keeps the writing from sounding salesy or overly casual.
Step 2: Turn on Canvas (this is the make-or-break setting)
Gemini won’t generate a visual slide deck unless you use Canvas.
The demo’s exact flow is:
- Click Tools
- Select Canvas
Once Canvas is selected, Gemini can generate the deck in seconds, and you can move through slides right inside the interface to review what it created.
If you want the official product update context, Google has also covered presentation generation inside Gemini in the Workspace updates feed: Generate presentations in the Gemini app
Step 3: Use the “Open in Google Slides” trick to edit everything
One limitation shown in the demo is that Gemini’s Canvas output isn’t edited directly inside Canvas (at least in the workflow shown). The workaround is simple:
- Choose the option to open your presentation in Google Slides
Once it’s in Google Slides, you get full control:
- Edit text, rewrite bullets, adjust slide order
- Swap images, refine layouts, fix spacing
- Change fonts, colors, and theme elements
When it’s ready to send, export it:
- Go to File
- Choose Download
- Pick PowerPoint (.pptx), PDF, or another format
If you want more background on Canvas itself, this is the product page: Gemini Canvas overview
Tool 2: Google NotebookLM, build slides from your documents and sources
NotebookLM is a different kind of tool. Instead of starting from a blank prompt, it starts from your material (PDFs, links, notes, and more). That makes it especially useful when accuracy and coverage matter.
NotebookLM supports:
- PDFs, text files, markdown documents, and audio
- Import from Google Drive
- Adding YouTube links or website URLs for analysis
This multi-source approach is what makes it stand out for research-heavy decks.
You can find NotebookLM here: Google NotebookLM
Option A: Upload PDFs and generate a deck from your own sources
In the demo, three academic papers on AI in mathematics education are uploaded:
- “Role and research trends of artificial intelligence in mathematics education” (systematic literature review)
- “Artificial intelligence in mathematics education” (another systematic literature review)
- “The good, the bad and the ugly” (added perspective on the same topic)
After upload, NotebookLM generates a combined summary. In the example, it produces a themed heading like “AI in math education, promises, pitfalls, and pedagogy,” pulling ideas across all three sources into one cohesive view.
From there, the new feature comes in.
Option B: Use the Slide Deck feature inside NotebookLM
On the right side of NotebookLM, there’s a feature called Slide Deck. When you click it, NotebookLM generates a presentation based on your uploaded resources.
In the demo, the deck includes:
- Structured slide text that reflects the papers
- Relevant images and infographics
- Data visualizations
- Clean, professional formatting
When it’s ready, you can preview it inside NotebookLM, share it, or download the PowerPoint file.
For the official steps, Google documents this feature here: Generate a Slide Deck in NotebookLM
Google also shares practical ideas for improving the output here: 8 ways to make the most out of Slide Decks in NotebookLM
Bonus: Research a topic inside NotebookLM, then turn it into slides
NotebookLM can also gather sources for you.
The demo flow looks like this:
- Click Discover sources
- Type a query (example used: how AI is impacting human life)
- Choose:
- Fast search for quick results
- Deep research for a more thorough pull
- Import the suggested sources (the demo imports 10)
Once imported, NotebookLM generates a summary across all sources. Then you can click Slide Deck again to generate a new presentation grounded in those sources.
This is where NotebookLM becomes one of those ai tools that feels more like a research assistant than a slide generator.
The best combo: NotebookLM for research, Gemini 3 for design and export
Using the tools together is the most flexible option shown in the demo, especially when your topic needs credible sourcing and a clean 12-slide structure.
Step 1: Gather sources and create a 12-slide outline in NotebookLM
Start in NotebookLM:
- Create a new notebook
- Use Discover sources
- Enter a focused query (example: impact of AI on human lives)
- Ask for research papers and expert commentary (to keep the sources credible)
- Import the suggested sources (the demo uses 10)
Then ask NotebookLM to generate an outline:
- Title: “The Impact of AI on Human Life”
- Format: 12 slides
- Each slide: a clear title, 3 to 4 key points
- Add brief source notes (so you can trace claims back to material)
That outline becomes the blueprint.
Step 2: Paste the outline into Gemini Canvas and generate the full deck
Now open Gemini and switch on Canvas:
- Go to Tools
- Select Canvas
- Prompt Gemini to convert the outline into a 12-slide presentation
For stronger output, the demo suggests requesting:
- Concise slide headlines
- Smooth transitions
- Suggested visuals (timelines, charts, key quotes)
Then paste the NotebookLM outline under your prompt and generate.
The example result covers themes like:
- The AI revolution
- Labor market shifts
- Economic opportunities
- Broader impacts on society
And it arrives already formatted like a real deck instead of a text document.
Quick comparison: which tool should you use?
| Goal | Best choice | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| You already know the topic and want slides fast | Gemini 3 (Canvas) | Prompt-to-deck speed, strong visual layout |
| You must use PDFs, papers, or links as the source of truth | NotebookLM (Slide Deck) | Slides are grounded in uploaded and imported materials |
| You want both credible structure and polished design | NotebookLM outline + Gemini Canvas | Research first, then turn it into a clean deck you can export |
If you’re tracking how these products connect behind the scenes, NotebookLM has also been reported as using Gemini 3 in its stack: NotebookLM now uses Gemini 3, adds new ‘Data Tables’ output
My personal experience and what I learned from this workflow
After working through this process step by step, a few lessons stand out, and they’re practical ones you notice right away.
Canvas is non-negotiable in Gemini. If you skip Tools and Canvas, you don’t get a real presentation experience. You just get text.
NotebookLM is better when accuracy matters. When the deck needs to reflect real sources (papers, reports, web articles), NotebookLM’s source-based approach gives you a stronger starting point.
Gemini is better at presentation polish. NotebookLM creates a solid deck, but Gemini’s Canvas flow is the one that feels more design-forward, especially when you feed it a clean outline.
The fastest “pro” result comes from splitting the job. Research and structure in NotebookLM, then layout and export in Gemini. That division mirrors how people already work, outline first, design second.
Try it yourself (and follow Gurru Tech Solutions)
If you want the simplest starting point, try Gemini 3 with Canvas and generate a 12-slide deck from a tight prompt. If your slides need to be grounded in sources, start in NotebookLM and use Slide Deck, or do the combo: outline in NotebookLM, then design and export in Gemini. Ai tools don’t replace clear thinking, but they can remove the boring parts of slide building. What would you rather spend time on, resizing shapes, or working on the message?
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