This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication:

• The Best & Worst AI Tools For Presentations ​
• On the Show: How You Get What You Want Without Winning Arguments​
• Book Recommendation: The Secret Language of Work​

The Best & Worst AI Tools For Presentations

I'm writing this on a plane to San Francisco – guest spot on Stanford's Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast Friday, then a week recording leadership communications courses at LinkedIn's studios near Santa Barbara. Follow along on Instagram for a look behind the scenes.

Probably like you, I'm giving presentations every week, mostly for workshops, coachings, and webinars.

For the past three years I've been experimenting with using AI for presentations to speed up the process, especially the process of creating and formatting the slides.

So far I wasn't overly impressed. The slides were too wordy, formatting was flimsy, and LLMs reliably picked the wrong structures. That meant the time saving was non-existent or even negative.

But with the latest updates, things have changed, and you probably wonder which AI is the best for presentations right now.

Great question. The honest answer is: it depends on what "best" means to you.

If you are already using Microsoft

Microsoft Copilot in PowerPoint can generate full slide decks from a text prompt, summarize existing presentations, and suggest design improvements. The quality is solid when you give it structured content, but without significant effort, the output can look generic.

In sum, it's not my favorite, but if you're in an organization that uses Co-Pilot, it's a solid choice.

If You are already using Google

Similar to Microsoft, Google Slides with Gemini is convenient if you're already in Google Workspace (like my company) and great for pulling in your own Drive content.

The biggest limitation is that it still works slide-by-slide rather than deck-wide, and the output tends to be generic.

Canva – best for hands-on design control

Canva's AI generation is fast, and the platform includes powerful tools for editing anything from the core design to adding visual elements. Its brand kit is solid and it integrates with a vast template library – but it's more "AI-assisted design" than "AI-generated deck."

Beautiful.ai – best for strict brand governance

Beautiful.ai's brand kit lets you upload your fonts, colors, and logo, and it applies them consistently across all presentations – more robust than Gamma's theming options. (If that resonates, it offers a two week free trial.)

Gamma – best overall for most people

Gamma is widely considered the best AI presentation maker in 2026, with the strongest first drafts, consistent design without much editing, and an AI agent that handles research. The theme editor lets you set brand colours, fonts, and logos once, after which the AI applies them globally across every card. There is a free version that’s enough to test it.

The catch: Gamma presentations share a recognisable aesthetic – clean cards with modern fonts and muted colours. After seeing a few Gamma decks, you can identify the tool immediately. So if your brand is strong and distinctive, you'll want to invest time in customisation.

ChatGPT – most significant improvement

ChatGPT designs have gone from ok to impressive in recent weeks. Its strength is the research part, so if your presentations require case studies and deep insights, it's worth kicking the tires again. It can create PowerPoint slides that you can download and then continue to work on in Microsoft, Google or Gamma.

Claude – best all-in-one solution

Claude is excellent at the thinking and writing layer – crafting the narrative structure, slide titles, speaker notes, and persuasive copy. But it's not a visual design tool. It can generate PowerPoint files, but it won't match Gamma or Beautiful.ai on design quality.

It’s my go-to as I already have slide designs which I upload as visual guidance.

The best solution is a combination

Your sweet spot may be: Claude for content. Gamma or Beautiful.ai for design and brand application. That combination is hard to beat right now.

How to get the best overall results

Your outcome will only be as good as your input. Therefore, don't rely on AI to create a presentation for you, but use the 10-80-10 method.

The first 10% is your messaging and strategizing, the middle 80% is the execution where AI does the heavy lifting, and the last 10% is your taste, judgment and refinement.

Pro-tip: Make my CEO-level presentation planner part of your prompting. That ensures that the AI uses a tried-and-tested storytelling structure for your presentation, not a long list of agenda items that ensure you lose your audience in the first minute (it likes to do that 🙄).

If you have a tip that helps you create better presentations with AI, please reply and share it with me. I would love to read it!

ON THE SHOW

How You Get What You Want Without Winning Arguments

▶️ Episode 326 with Joshua Bandoch on YouTube, Spotify or Apple.

Says Joshua Bandoch, author of How to Get What You Want.

Here are eight quote-worthy insights Josh shares in this week's episode of Speak Like a CEO:

1/ Persuasion is not about winning – it's shared action. Shift from "how do I win this?" to "how do we move forward together?"

2/ Talking about yourself feels like sex and money. No wonder we make everything about us. The persuader's mindset flips that: it's about them, not you.

3/ Facts don't change minds – feelings do. Logic tsunamis don't wash away misconceptions. Morally motivating stories do. We retain 65% of what we hear in stories versus 5% from data.

4/ Find the barrier. Persuasion isn't about getting someone to do something – it's about finding out what's stopping them. Ask directly: "What would stop you?"

5/ Ace the “Granny Test”. Would your granny understand what you're saying? Granny isn't stupid – she's just not an expert. If she gets it, you're clear.

6/ Be for something, not just against something Positivity persuades; negativity doesn't. The most influential leaders have a clear North Star – a vision they're moving towards.

7/ Don't ask what they think – ask how they feel. "How do you feel about this?" gets you unguarded, honest answers. "What do you think?" gets you the polished, defended version.

8/ Do you want to be right, or do you want to make a difference? Being right is easy – just launch a logic tsunami. Making a difference takes the persuader's mindset.

Watch and listen to truly understand persuasion

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BOOK RECOMMENDATION

The Secret Language of Work

Navigating the professional world is hugely challenging, and it all comes down to how you communicate with co-workers, clients, and those in charge.

No one is giving us scripts for the unwritten rules at work, so we tend to rely on hearsay and trial and error.

Until now. Erin McGoff, who has built a significant online presence with millions of followers, delivers candid career advice for Gen Z and millennials in her first book. From setting boundaries to job interviews, from networking to asking for a raise, she is providing hyper-helpful scripts for every situation.

Two caveats: The book is not written for leaders, but for professionals earlier in their career.

Plus: communicating at work depends on culture and context, and the book is written from a US perspective, so make sure that you run it through your own cultural filter if necessary.

I hope you don't have to worry about work conversations for the next few days. But if you do, check out The Secret Language of Work.

Have an inspired weekend,

Oliver

PS: Whenever you are ready, there are 3 ways I can help you: private coaching; my 10-person cohorts; transforming your organization’s communication.

Eo Ipso Communications GmbH

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Uhlandstraße 32, 10719 Berlin

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