Presentations have been the standard of business communication for decades because they are a powerful way to quickly share ideas, convey information, and tell stories.
That has not changed, but the way people make new presentations is rapidly evolving because of the introduction of new AI tools that can help create PowerPoint presentations.
This guide explains how different AI PowerPoint generators work, why people use them, how to choose the right one, and how different companies are adopting AI for presentations today.
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What is an AI PowerPoint generator?
An AI PowerPoint generator is an app that uses artificial intelligence to help users create or edit slide decks. AI PowerPoint generators typically handle both the design (layout, fonts, colors) as well as the content generation (writing titles and bullet points) for a slide.
There are two primary types of AI PowerPoint generators: (1) Standalone apps and (2) Native PowerPoint AI.
- The standalone apps are actually PowerPoint alternatives that require the user to export their presentation in .pptx to get a PowerPoint file.
- The native PowerPoint AIs (Copilot and Plus AI) allow users to do all of the generation and editing work directly inside of PowerPoint.
How do AI PowerPoint generators work?
AI PowerPoint generators use the power of large language models (LLMs) and design systems to turn user inputs into a PowerPoint presentation.
Generally, there are 3-5 things that AI PowerPoint generators do:
- Understand a user input - The first step for any AI PowerPoint generator is to take a user input and convert it into a “readable” format for the AI. This typically involves a system of prompts and AI workflows that can transform anything from a long document, to an outline, to a short description of a presentation into something that is AI-ready.
- Create a structure for a presentation - The next step is to feed the user input into the AI to create a presentation outline that includes things like an agenda, sections, and different slide types. The more sophisticated AI PowerPoint generators will do things like select specific slide types (e.g., a chart slide / a case study slide) to present certain topics.
- Use an LLM to create individual slides - Next, the AI PowerPoint generator uses the large language model’s corpus of training data to “write” the content for every slide. This is very similar to asking ChatGPT to “write a paragraph on [Topic X].” The main difference is that AI presentation makers need to also handle the slide design in this step, which is trickier than just writing text alone.
- Render the presentation in PowerPoint - Now the presentation is almost ready for the user to use. It just needs to be turned into actual PowerPoint slides. Tools like Plus AI and Copilot will create slides directly inside of PowerPoint. Other web-based AI tools require users to export the presentation into .pptx format.
- Help the user refine the final presentation - Finally, once the first draft of the presentation is done, most of the AI presentation generators will help users refine their draft with different editing tools. Users will be able to reformat slides, insert new slides, shorten the text, and more. For the native PowerPoint tools, this happens directly inside of PowerPoint. For the web-based tools, this happens in a separate editor.
What are the most popular AI PowerPoint generators?
Plus AI
Plus AI is the top-rated AI PowerPoint generator on the Microsoft AppSource marketplace. It’s designed for professionals with a native PowerPoint integration, a library of high-quality templates, and the ability to use custom presentation templates as well.
Plus AI is best for anyone who wants to work with AI directly inside of PowerPoint while producing polished, professional slides. There is a free 7 day trial with all features.
Copilot
Microsoft uses the Copilot name to describe its full suite of AI tools, from its chatbot to its PowerPoint’s AI features. In PowerPoint, Copilot also incorporates the old “Designer” product that suggests layouts and design options.
Copilot is convenient to use because of its native integration, but it can only make a limited number of slide types, which generally consist of an AI-generated image and two to three bullet points. It’s best for people who need basic AI in PowerPoint and may already have it included in their subscription.
SlidesGo
SlidesGo is a popular online template library for PowerPoint slides. They also offer a web-based AI PowerPoint tool that allows people to create presentations using their templates. You have to go through a basic web app and then you click download to get your slides.
The level of the AI content is lower than Copilot, but you are able to access a larger library of templates, which may be nice, depending on what you are trying to present.
Gamma
Gamma is a popular AI app that helps people make presentations and websites. It’s a fun take on presentations, with a new, web-based editor that makes it easier to quickly edit your slides and move things around.
The main issue is that if you need to export your Gamma presentation to PowerPoint, it typically leads to a bunch of formatting problems with slide sizes, fonts, and formats. It’s best for people who want to avoid PowerPoint altogether for their presentations.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is the most well-known AI chatbot, and they recently released the ability for ChatGPT “Agents” to create PowerPoint presentations. While ChatGPT is great for research and information synthesis, right now, it can only make basic, image and bullet presentations that often come with a number of different formatting issues.
It is, however, downloadable as a native PPTX file, so you can open it up and edit it right away like a standard PowerPoint presentation. Right now we would recommend ChatGPT as a good tool for people who don't mind waiting a while for a presentation and are primarily focused on content and ideas vs. polished slides.
What are the benefits of AI PowerPoint generators?
People use AI PowerPoint generators in the same way that they are taking advantage of other AI tools. Here are some of the top benefits:
- Quickly create a first draft of your ideas - Instead of starting from a blank slide, AI can quickly give you one (or more) starting points, so you can react to an initial idea, rather than starting from a blank deck.
- Brainstorming structures and outlines - AI is great at quickly putting together a strong outline of a presentation (and ideas for specific slides types).
- Automation of formatting - Removing the rote slide design helps you focus on the high-level storytelling, instead of thinking about how to make pretty slides.
- Consistent brand and voice - Using AI with your organization’s templates and voice helps everyone create consistent slides that look and sound consistent.
- Repurposing content - AI presentation makers make it really easy to quickly turn one type of content (e.g., a blog post) into another (a one paper, a ten slide presentation).
What are the limitations of AI PowerPoint generators?
There are still many limitations to AI systems, and AI PowerPoint generators are no exception. Here are some of the biggest limitations to today’s AI PowerPoint generators.
- Design - AI is great at writing text, but it is still not very good at design. If you need fancy visuals for a keynote presentation, you are probably still much better off working with a human designer. If you already have a slide template, it’s much easier to work with an AI tool.
- Customized templates - If you work at a big company, you probably have to use a prescribed corporate presentation template. Many of the AI presentation companies will let you customize some colors and add your font, but it will not let you use your actual template. (Plus AI offers this feature under their Enterprise plans)
- Export issues - Non-native AI PowerPoint apps often face formatting and layout issues when you export presentations to PowerPoint. For many professional workflows, this can be a major issue because it forces you to use their standalone apps in order to edit and present your presentation.
- Hallucinations and accuracy - AI can be unpredictable, and while it is constantly improving, for high-stakes presentations, it’s important to check the AI’s work and make sure it did not change things or invent facts.
- Complex data analysis - While you can create charts using AI, you probably still need human guidance and analysis to go from qualitative and quantitative research to unique insights. AI is a great tool to help in this process, but it can’t replace human judgment or insight.
How do I choose the right AI PowerPoint generator?
If you’re choosing an AI PowerPoint generator, here’s a simple way to find the right tool for you.
Start with your main presentation tool:
- If you primarily work in PowerPoint, try Plus AI for professional-quality AI outputs or Copilot for basic slides.
- If you don’t like PowerPoint, try one of the web-based apps like Gamma or ChatGPT.
Then, start filtering your choice based on specific requirements. Here are 7 features to look for in an AI presentation tool:
- Great user interface - Make sure the product is easy to use and understand
- Real slide designs - If you need PowerPoint slides, make sure the outputs actually look like PowerPoint slides (not just AI-generated images plus a random paragraph of text)
- AI editing - Make sure there are features to help you edit and format your slides with AI
- Customization and branding - If you have specific branding requirements, make sure you can meet them with your AI presentation tool
- Multilingual support - If you ever need to translate slides or create slides in foreign languages, make sure your AI tool can help with this
- Security, privacy, and compliance - If you work at a large company, make sure you find solutions that are compliant and secure
- Customer support - These are new tools, so make sure you can find resources, ask questions, and get support when you need it
If you need more help choosing a PowerPoint generator, here’s a comprehensive guide to the best AI presentation makers. This article also shows full examples of what presentations created by each of the tools look like, so it’s a great resource when choosing what you need.
What are the top use cases for AI PowerPoint generators?
There are hundreds of different ways that people use AI for presentations, but here are some of the most popular use cases.
- Quickly format slides - Rather than spend hours nudging text boxes and clicking “Align items,” AI makes it easy to format slides with one click
- Turn reports into presentations - If you have long documents that take a long time to read, converting them into slides is an easy way to share and present them
- Rewrite and reword - If you’d like AI help on “dewording” your slides, making things sound more professional, or polishing your text, AI is a perfect writing partner
- Fast first drafts - If you want to quickly create a slide with a chart, analysis, and takeaway box, AI is an excellent way to just drop in data and get the slide. After it’s done, you can fine-tune the chart and revisit the conclusions
These types of functionality make AI PowerPoint generators perfect for people who are creating sales proposals, pitch decks, training materials, strategy presentations, and educational content.
FAQs about AI PowerPoint apps
Can I create AI slides in PowerPoint? There are several ways to create AI presentations in PowerPoint. You can try using Copilot to generate new content for slides, you can use Designer to experiment with new layouts and designs, or you can try using AI add-ins to outline, create, and edit your slides.
What is the best AI for PowerPoint? The highest-rated AI for PowerPoint on Microsoft Appsource is Plus AI. Microsoft Copilot is also a popular choice for AI in PowerPoint.
How can I convert a PDF to PPT with AI? There are several tools that convert PDF documents into PPT files. Some of the best PDF to PPT converters are iLovePDF, Adobe, and Plus AI.
