Using AI to get a jumpstart on image descriptions

Verbally describing images can be challenging, whether it’s historical paintings, photographs of plants, or scientific charts, but providing captions, descriptions, and alt text increases access to learning for all students. If you’re struggling with where to start, consider using a tool like Google Gemini to describe an uploaded image in different ways using the chat interface and “Upload image” feature. This can analyze an image and provide a short (or long) description, and can be further prompted to change the focus of that description.

It doesn’t always get things right, including when people are prominently present, but can provide a helpful starting place when you hit a roadblock! Whatever you start with, placing your own spin on the language can help turn a simple image description into a helpful one for students, tailor-made for the purpose of your image.