Google AI Studio has gotten a big vibe coding upgrade with a new interface, buttons, suggestions and community features that allow anyone with an idea for an app — even complete novices, laypeople, or non-developers like yours truly — to bring it into existence and deploy it live, on the web, for anyone to use, within minutes.
The updated Build tab is available now at ai.studio/build, and it’s free to start.
Users can experiment with building applications without needing to enter payment information upfront, though certain advanced features like Veo 3.1 and Cloud Run deployment require a paid API key.
The new features appear to me to make Google's AI models and offerings even more competitive, perhaps preferred, for many general users to dedicated AI startup rivals like Anthropic's Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex, respectively, two "vibe coding" focused products that are beloved by developers — but seem to have a higher barrier to entry or may require more technical know-how.
A Fresh Start: Redesigned Build Mode
The updated Build tab serves as the entry point to vibe coding. It introduces a new layout and workflow where users can select from Google’s suite of AI models and features to power their applications. The default is Gemini 2.5 Pro, which is great for most cases.
Once selections are made, users simply describe what they want to build, and the system automatically assembles the necessary components using Gemini’s APIs.
This mode supports mixing capabilities like Nano Banana (a lightweight AI model), Veo (for video understanding), Imagine (for image generation), Flashlight (for performance-optimized inference), and Google Search.
Patrick Löber, Developer Relations at Google DeepMind, highlighted that the experience is meant to help users “supercharge your apps with AI” using a simple prompt-to-app pipeline.
In a video demo he posted on X and LinedIn, he showed how just a few clicks led to the automatic generation of a garden planning assistant app, complete with layouts, visuals, and a conversational interface.
From Prompt to Production: Building and Editing in Real Time
Once an app is generated, users land in a fully interactive editor. On the left, there’s a traditional code-assist interface where developers can chat with the AI model for help or suggestions. On the right, a code editor displays the full source of the app.
Each component—such as React entry points, API calls, or styling files—can be edited directly. Tooltips help users understand what each file does, which is especially useful for those less familiar with TypeScript or frontend frameworks.
Apps can be saved to GitHub, downloaded locally, or shared directly. Deployment is possible within the Studio environment or via Cloud Run if advanced scaling or hosting is needed.
Inspiration on Demand: The ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ Button
One standout feature in this update is the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button. Designed for users who need a creative jumpstart, it generates randomized app concepts and configures the app setup accordingly. Each press yields a different idea, complete with suggested AI features and components.
Examples produced during demos include:
An interactive map-based chatbot powered by Google Search and conversational AI.
A dream garden designer using image generation and advanced planning tools.
A trivia game app with an AI host whose personality users can define, integrating both Imagine and Flashlight with Gemini 2.5 Pro for conversation and reasoning.
Logan Kilpatrick, Lead of Product for Google AI Studio and Gemini AI, noted in a demo video of his own that this feature encourages discovery and experimentation.
“You get some really, really cool, different experiences,” he said, emphasizing its role in helping users find novel ideas quickly.
Hands-On Test: From Prompt to App in 65 Seconds
To test the new workflow, I prompted Gemini with:
A randomized dice rolling web application where the user can select between common dice sizes (6 sides, 10 sides, etc) and then see an animated die rolling and choose the color of their die as well.
Within 65 seconds (just over a minute) AI Studio returned a fully working web app featuring:
Dice size selector (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20)
Color customization options for the die
Animated rolling effect with randomized results
Clean, modern UI built with React, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS
The platform also generated a complete set of structured files, including App.tsx, constants.ts, and separate components for dice logic and controls.
After generation, it was easy to iterate: adding sound effects for each interaction (rolling, choosing a die, changing color) required only a single follow-up prompt to the built-in assistant. This was also suggested by Gemini, too, by the way.
From there, the app can be previewed live or exported using built-in controls to:
Save to GitHub
Download the full codebase
Copy the project for remixing
Deploy via integrated tools
My brief, hands-on test showed just how quickly even small utility apps can go from idea to interactive prototype—without leaving the browser or writing boilerplate code manually.
AI-Suggested Enhancements and Feature Refinement
In addition to code generation, Google AI Studio now offers context-aware feature suggestions. These recommendations, generated by Gemini’s Flashlight capability, analyze the current app and propose relevant improvements.
In one example, the system suggested implementing a feature that displays the history of previously generated images in an image studio tab. These iterative enhancements allow builders to expand app functionality over time without starting from scratch.
Kilpatrick emphasized that users can continue to refine their projects as they go, combining both automatic generation and manual adjustments. “You can go in and continue to edit and sort of refine the experience that you want iteratively,” he said.
Free to Start, Flexible to Grow
The new experience is available at no cost for users who want to experiment, prototype, or build lightweight apps. There’s no requirement to enter credit card information to begin using vibe coding.
However, more powerful capabilities — such as using models like Veo 3.1 or deploying through Cloud Run — do require switching to a paid API key.
This pricing structure is intended to lower the barrier to entry for experimentation while providing a clear path to scale when needed.
Built for All Skill Levels
One of the central goals of the vibe coding launch is to make AI app development accessible to more people. The system supports both high-level visual builders and low-level code editing, creating a workflow that works for developers across experience levels.
Kilpatrick mentioned that while he’s more familiar with Python than TypeScript, he still found the editor useful because of the helpful file descriptions and intuitive layout.
This focus on usability could make AI Studio a compelling option for developers exploring AI for the first time.
More to Come: A Week of Launches
The launch of vibe coding is the first in a series of announcements expected throughout the week. While specific future features haven’t been revealed yet, both Kilpatrick and Löber hinted that additional updates are on the way.
With this update, Google AI Studio positions itself as a flexible, user-friendly environment for building AI-powered applications—whether for fun, prototyping, or production deployment. The focus is clear: make the power of Gemini’s APIs accessible without unnecessary complexity.
