Create Custom Bedtime Stories With Google Gemini
Introducing Gemini Storybook
Google has just launched an innovative new tool within its Gemini AI chatbot called Storybook. This feature empowers you to create your own illustrated story simply by describing it. According to the official announcement, Storybook generates 10-page stories, with each page featuring a short paragraph of text—which Gemini can read aloud—and a unique, accompanying illustration.
The creative possibilities are extensive. You can guide the AI to use specific art styles, from claymation and anime to classic comic book aesthetics. In a particularly creative twist, Google also allows you to upload your own images for Gemini to use as a reference. Imagine turning your child’s drawing into a fully-fledged, illustrated adventure!
Putting AI Storytelling to the Test
Curious about its capabilities, I decided to try the feature out. My first request was for a story about a lonely catfish trying to make friends in a new aquarium. While the plot Gemini concocted about the tank's residents trying to move a marble was a bit underwhelming, the initial results seemed typical for an AI-generated children's story. That is, until I stumbled upon a truly bizarre illustration: one of the fish had sprouted a very human-looking arm.
The Weird and Wonderful World of AI Art
This single strange image was just the beginning. The quirks of AI generation continued to pop up in other stories. One tale featured a scene with spaghetti sauce that looked more like a cartoon crime scene. Another showed a mother and son watching TV, but the television screen was inexplicably facing the wrong way.
Even Google's own promotional video for the feature isn't immune. As pointed out by my colleague, the video shows a woman supposedly building a spaceship, making "tap, tap, tap" sounds while holding a wrench and another unidentifiable tool in a slightly odd manner.
Customization and Availability
Beyond these amusing inconsistencies, the tool shows promise. However, when I attempted to use my own art by uploading a cartoon cat I drew, the AI's interpretation didn't quite capture my original vision, producing a character that was clearly inspired by but different from the source.
Despite these quirks, the Gemini Storybook feature is an interesting new development in creative AI. It is now available globally on both desktop and mobile for all languages that Gemini currently supports.
