How to Use AI to Prepare a Presentation and Slides

A presentation is a story with a point, and slides are only there to support it. Most weak presentations fail before anyone opens PowerPoint: the message isn’t clear, there’s too much content, and the slides end up as a script for the speaker to read aloud.

AI can help you sort the thinking first, then speed up the slide-making. It can find your key message, structure the talk, draft speaker notes and, with tools like Copilot in PowerPoint or Gemini in Google Slides, turn an outline into a first-draft deck. You still choose what matters and make it yours. This guide takes about two hours for a 15-minute talk.

What you’ll need

• Who your audience is, what they already know and what you want them to do or decide
• Your time limit and any template or brand guidelines
• Your source material: reports, data, notes, previous decks
• PowerPoint, Google Slides or Keynote, and an AI assistant
• About two hours for a 15-minute presentation

Step-by-step: from idea to rehearsed talk

1. Find your key message. Ask the AI to help you say the whole point of your talk in one sentence (prompt 1). If you can’t, the audience won’t either.
2. Pick three supporting points. Most audiences remember a few ideas, not twenty. Ask the AI which of your points best support the message, with evidence for each.
3. Outline the slides. Ask for a slide-by-slide plan: title, one idea per slide, what visual would help and speaker notes (prompt 2). A rough guide is one slide per one to two minutes.
4. Build the deck. In PowerPoint with Copilot or Google Slides with Gemini, you can generate a first draft from your outline or a document. Otherwise, build it yourself from the outline. Use your organisation’s template.
5. Cut the text. Ask the AI to turn wordy slides into short headlines and a few words or a visual (prompt 3). Put the detail in your notes or a handout, not on screen.
6. Check the data. Every chart and number must come from your sources. AI-generated decks can include placeholder or invented figures. Verify them all.
7. Rehearse and prepare for questions. Time yourself, then ask the AI for the ten toughest questions your audience might ask (prompt 4) and plan short answers.

Copy-paste prompts

1. Find my key message

I'm giving a [LENGTH]-minute presentation to [AUDIENCE] about [TOPIC]. They already know [WHAT THEY KNOW]. I want them to [DECIDE / UNDERSTAND / DO SOMETHING] by the end. Here is my material: [PASTE NOTES OR SUMMARY]
Suggest three options for a one-sentence key message, then the three strongest supporting points for the best one, with the evidence from my material for each.

2. Slide-by-slide outline

Create a slide-by-slide outline for a [LENGTH]-minute presentation with this key message: "[MESSAGE]" and these points: [POINTS].
For each slide give: a short headline that states the point (not just a topic), the visual or chart that would help, and 3–5 lines of speaker notes in natural spoken English. Include an opening that grabs attention and a closing slide with a clear call to action. Aim for about [NUMBER] slides.

3. Cut my slide text

Here is the text from my slides: [PASTE]
Rewrite each slide so it has a headline of under 10 words and no more than 3 short bullet points or a suggestion for a visual instead. Move the detail into speaker notes. Keep all facts unchanged.

4. Prepare for questions

Here's my presentation outline and notes: [PASTE]. My audience is [AUDIENCE].
List the 10 most likely or toughest questions they might ask, including sceptical ones. For each, suggest a short answer based on my material, and flag where I need more evidence.

Recommended tools

• Microsoft Copilot in PowerPoint: can create a presentation from a prompt or a Word document, and summarise or reorganise slides (needs an eligible Microsoft 365 plan).
• Gemini in Google Slides: help with drafting slides and generating images in supported Workspace plans.
• ChatGPT: strong for outlines, speaker notes and Q&A practice.
• Claude: good at structuring long source documents into clear arguments.
• Grok: quick for opening hooks and examples.

Tips and mistakes to avoid

• Don’t read your slides. If your slides contain your whole script, cut them down. The audience can read faster than you can speak.
• One idea per slide. It’s easier to follow and easier to present.
• Check every number and chart. Don’t present anything you can’t trace to a source.
• Keep confidential material safe. Only use approved AI tools for internal documents.
• Use readable fonts and contrast. Large text, dark on light (or light on dark), and no tiny tables.
• Rehearse out loud. Practising in your head always takes less time than the real thing.
• Have a back-up. Save a PDF copy and bring it on a USB stick or in your email in case the technology fails.

FAQ

How many slides should a 10-minute presentation have?

There’s no fixed rule, but around one slide per one to two minutes is a common guide, so five to ten slides. Fewer, clearer slides are usually better.

Can AI create my whole slide deck?

Tools like Copilot in PowerPoint can generate a first draft, which saves time. You’ll still need to check content, fix design and make sure it says what you mean.

How do I stop being nervous when presenting?

Know your opening and closing by heart, rehearse several times and focus on one friendly face. Nerves usually fade after the first minute.

I'm giving a [LENGTH]-minute presentation to [AUDIENCE] about [TOPIC]. They already know [WHAT THEY KNOW]. I want them to [DECIDE / UNDERSTAND / DO SOMETHING] by the end. Here is my material: [PASTE NOTES OR SUMMARY]
Suggest three options for a one-sentence key message, then the three strongest supporting points for the best one, with the evidence from my material for each.

Related guides

• How to use AI to take meeting notes and summaries
• How to use AI to prepare for a job interview
• How to use AI to write professional emails faster

Reference: Microsoft Support: Create a new presentation with Copilot in PowerPoint