AI for Presentations: What It Ruins
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AI will build you a complete, well formatted, entirely unpersuasive deck in about ninety seconds.
Direct answer
AI is good at turning an existing document into formatted slides and at generating speaker notes. It cannot build a narrative, because sequence and emphasis are not in your source material. Write the argument first, then generate.
Based on the AI and Automation Practitioner standard (ST1512), a Level 4 apprenticeship for people already in work. Funding rules described here are the England position and are set by the funding body.
Potentially free for you
The learner never pays. Employers potentially pay nothing either, and where the apprentice is aged 16 to 24 the government funds the whole cost even if the employer does not pay the levy.
Closing any gap. A levy transfer from another employer covers 100% of the cost. Unused transfer allowance is not carried forward at the end of the tax year, and it must be agreed before the apprentice starts.
From 1 August 2026 the government stopped adding the 10% top-up to new funds entering levy accounts, so there is less in the system than there was.
Part of our guide to AI Tools Worth Learning for Office Work.
What it genuinely does
Converts a written document into slides, splitting content and applying a designed layout. This is real mechanical work saved.
Generates speaker notes, which are frequently more useful than the slides and are usually overlooked.
Restyles an inherited deck to a house template, faster and more consistently than doing it slide by slide.
Summarises a long deck someone sent you, which is a small feature that saves a surprising amount of time.
Why generated decks fall flat
A deck persuades through sequence. What comes first, what gets contrasted, where the tension sits. None of that is in a document.
It weights every section equally, so a nuanced argument becomes an evenly spaced list and the emphasis disappears.
It fills. Generated slides carry more words than they need because the tool has no view on what could be cut.
The result covers everything and lands nothing, which is a narrative problem rather than a design one.
The workflow that works
Decide what you want the audience to do. If you cannot say it in one sentence, no tool will rescue the deck.
Write the argument in order, in a document. This is the thinking and it is the part that cannot be delegated.
Generate the deck from that document, so the sequence is already right before design is applied.
Delete a third of the slides. There will always be a third that exist because the tool had material rather than because you needed them.
There is more on this in our guide to AI tools worth learning for office work.
Slide titles, which matter more than design
Write every title as a statement rather than a topic. Q3 Performance says nothing. Q3 Missed Target on Volume says everything.
Read the titles alone, in order. If they tell the story without the slides, the deck works. If not, the sequence is wrong.
This test takes two minutes and catches more problems than any amount of restyling.
Generated titles are almost always topics rather than statements, which is why this rewrite is not optional.
Accessibility, which gets skipped
Run the Accessibility Checker before sending. Missing alt text on generated images is the commonest finding and takes a minute.
Check the reading order on auto-generated layouts. It is often wrong and it is invisible unless someone uses a screen reader.
Check contrast if the deck will be projected. Many house templates fail in a bright room regardless of the tool used.
For a public body or a large employer this is a requirement rather than a courtesy.
Accessibility expectations in UK organisations
Public sector bodies in the UK have accessibility duties that extend to documents shared with the public, including presentations.
Generated decks routinely fail on missing alt text, wrong reading order and contrast below the accessible threshold.
Run the Accessibility Checker before sending. It takes under a minute and it catches all three.
Large private employers increasingly apply the same standard, so this is worth doing regardless of sector.
Where it saves the most time
Converting a written report into a presentation, which is otherwise pure mechanical effort.
Restyling an inherited deck, which nobody enjoys and everybody has to do.
Producing speaker notes from slides you already made, which works better than the usual direction.
It saves least on short high-stakes decks, where every word matters and editing takes as long as writing.
Key takeaways
- It saves layout time, not thinking time.
- Write the argument in order first, then generate from that document.
- Delete a third of the generated slides as a rule.
- Rewrite every title as a statement and read the titles alone in order.
- Run the Accessibility Checker before sending.
Frequently asked questions
Is AI good for making presentations?
For turning a document into formatted slides, yes. For building a persuasive argument, no, because sequence and emphasis are not in your source material.
Why do AI decks feel flat?
They weight every section equally and fill slides with more words than needed. Persuasion comes from contrast and emphasis, which the tool has no view on.
What is the right workflow?
Decide what the audience should do, write the argument in order, generate the deck from that document, then delete a third of the slides.
How should I write slide titles?
As statements rather than topics. Then read the titles alone in order. If they tell the story, the deck works.
Does it write speaker notes?
Yes, and they are often more useful than the slides. Generating notes from slides you already made works particularly well.
What about accessibility?
Run the Accessibility Checker. Missing alt text on generated images and wrong reading order are both common and both quick to fix.
When is it not worth using?
Short high-stakes decks. Every word matters, so editing takes as long as writing and the saving disappears.
Will it make me a better presenter?
No. It shortens preparation. Rehearsal is still what decides how a presentation actually goes.
The funded route, in figures
Figures are the England position. Levy-paying employers usually draw the whole cost from the levy they already contribute, so they pay nothing extra. Employers below the £3 million pay bill threshold pay nothing for an apprentice aged 16 to 24. For an older apprentice the government funds 95 per cent, and a levy transfer from a larger employer can cover the rest. Eligibility and funding rules are set by the funding body and can change.
Where to go next
If you want communication improvements assessed towards a recognised qualification, the funded route covers them.
We help UK employers and employees access government-funded AI training. Training is delivered by third-party providers. We do not guarantee a place, a qualification, a job or any particular outcome. Eligibility and funding rules are set by the funding body and can change. Always check the current position before you commit. See our disclaimer.