When I first started creating presentations, I thought getting the slides done was the hard part.
But when it came time to present, I realized I was either reading off the slides or struggling to remember what I wanted to say. That’s when I discovered the power of speaker notes.
Speaker notes act as your personal script. They guide you through each slide, help you stay on track, and make sure your key points come across.
But writing speaker notes manually for every slide is time-consuming. That’s why using AI to generate speaker notes has become a total game-changer.
In this post, I’ll walk you through everything I’ve learned about generating speaker notes for presentations using AI.
Whether you’re building a pitch deck, leading a webinar, or delivering a sales demo, this guide will show you how to save time, stay confident, and deliver presentations that land.
What Are Speaker Notes and Why They Matter
Speaker notes are the behind-the-scenes text that only you see during a presentation. They serve as your script or guide for what to say on each slide.
While your audience sees the polished slides, you have access to detailed prompts or bullet points that help you stay focused and confident.
Common use cases for speaker notes:
- Pitch decks for investors or clients
- Sales demos to walk through product features
- Workshops or training sessions
- Academic presentations for classes or research
- Internal updates or stakeholder meetings
The value of speaker notes goes beyond simply remembering what to say. They help structure your talk so you hit key messages, use consistent language, and stay within your time limit.
Benefits of using speaker notes:
- Keep your delivery structured and natural
- Avoid reading directly from slides
- Reduce the anxiety of forgetting key points
- Help you rehearse more efficiently
- Customize messages for different audiences
Speaker notes don’t just help beginners. Even seasoned speakers use them to sharpen delivery, especially when dealing with complex topics or tight deadlines.
Why Use AI to Generate Speaker Notes
Creating speaker notes manually can take hours, especially if your deck has 20 or more slides. You need to summarize each slide, align the tone with your audience, and think about timing. This is where AI tools shine.
AI speaker note generators take the content of each slide and use machine learning models to generate structured, context-aware notes.
These tools understand the visual elements, text, and layout of each slide and turn them into readable, relevant talking points.
Main advantages of AI-generated speaker notes:
- Speed: Get speaker notes for an entire deck in minutes
- Consistency: Align tone, language, and formatting across slides
- Customization: Tailor notes by audience, presentation length, or style
- Adaptability: Quickly adjust notes based on feedback or changes
- Support for multiple formats: Works across PowerPoint, Google Slides, Canva, and more
Many modern presentation tools like Beautiful.ai, Gamma, Tome, and Canva now include built-in AI support to generate speaker notes.
Others allow you to export your slides and use a separate AI writing tool like ChatGPT or Jasper to create your notes.
Let me show you how that works in practice.
Step-by-Step: How to Generate AI Speaker Notes
Generating speaker notes using AI doesn’t require any special tech skills. You can use built-in AI features in your presentation tool or copy your slide content into an external AI writing tool.
Here’s a simple process I use:
Step 1: Choose the Right AI Tool
Some tools already come with AI speaker note generation built in. Others require a bit more manual work.
| Tool | AI Speaker Notes Feature | Pricing (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Beautiful.ai | Built-in speaker notes generation | Starts at $12/month |
| Tome | Auto-generates slides and speaker notes | Free tier available |
| Gamma | AI-powered notes and summaries | Free and Pro plans |
| Canva (Magic Write) | Generate talking points with AI | Starts at $12.99/month |
| Decktopus | One-click AI speaker notes | Plans start at $9/month |
If your tool doesn’t have built-in AI, you can still generate speaker notes using tools like:
- ChatGPT
- Jasper
- Copy.ai
- Notion AI
Step 2: Input the Slide Content
If you’re using a tool like Tome or Beautiful.ai, just upload or build your deck and click the speaker notes option. If you’re using a writing tool, paste the text or describe the slide, and ask the AI to generate a speaker note.
Here’s a sample prompt you can use in ChatGPT:
Prompt:
“Generate speaker notes for this slide: ‘Our SaaS product increased client retention by 47% in Q4, driven by our new onboarding flow.’ Keep it confident and persuasive, in under 50 words.”
Step 3: Edit and Review the Notes
AI gives you a starting point. Always review and tweak the notes:
- Remove buzzwords or overly technical language
- Adjust for tone (casual vs formal)
- Make sure the timing works (aim for 15-30 seconds per slide)
- Add personal stories or real examples where needed
Step 4: Practice with the Notes
Once you’ve got your AI-generated notes, rehearse with them. Read them aloud, tweak awkward phrases, and get comfortable delivering them without sounding scripted.
This approach saves hours and gives you a clean foundation to work from.
What Makes a Good AI Speaker Note
Not all AI-generated notes are created equal. The best speaker notes do more than just summarize a slide. They give you a clear, conversational script that matches the tone and flow of your presentation.
Key traits of good speaker notes:
- Short and focused: 30–75 words max
- Conversational: Sounds like how you actually speak
- Highlights key data: Call out stats or visuals
- Transitions smoothly: Leads to the next slide or idea
- Custom-tailored: Fits your audience and presentation goals
Here’s a quick comparison of poor vs. good speaker notes:
| Quality | Example |
|---|---|
| Poor | “This slide shows sales growth.” |
| Good | “As you can see here, our sales have doubled in just six months. The key driver was our shift to subscription-based pricing, which we’ll explore more on the next slide.” |
Most AI tools today can produce solid first drafts. Your job is to personalize them.
Best AI Tools to Generate Speaker Notes
After testing dozens of tools, here are the ones I’ve found most useful for speaker notes:
1. Beautiful.ai
- Auto-generates speaker notes alongside your slides
- Lets you choose tone (professional, casual, confident)
- Offers templates for pitch decks, training, webinars
2. Gamma
- Uses AI to create presentation outlines, slides, and notes
- Conversational interface for editing and tweaking notes
- Great for collaborative teams
3. Tome
- Builds the entire presentation with speaker notes included
- Focused on storytelling and narrative-based decks
- Free version available with solid functionality
4. Canva + Magic Write
- Not a full speaker note engine, but useful
- Generate text per slide with AI, then copy into notes
- Great for visually stunning slides with content prompts
5. Decktopus
- Focused on fast presentation creation
- One-click note generation with options to adjust tone
- Great for solo professionals or sales teams
All of these tools offer free trials or free plans, so you can test which fits your workflow best.
Mistakes to Avoid with AI Speaker Notes
I’ve made a few mistakes along the way, and here are the big ones you should avoid:
1. Relying on AI completely
AI is great, but your voice matters. Don’t read off the notes verbatim. Use them as a guide and add your personal touch.
2. Overloading the notes
Speaker notes are not essays. If you write too much, you’ll get lost trying to read or remember everything. Keep it tight and focused.
3. Not testing the flow
Make sure the notes match your delivery speed. A 100-word note may take 60 seconds to say, which could be too long for one slide.
4. Ignoring audience tone
Use AI to adjust tone depending on whether your audience is formal (corporate board) or casual (startup pitch). Most AI tools allow for tone setting in the prompt.
5. No backup plan
Always save a PDF of your speaker notes. Tech fails happen. You don’t want to be standing in front of a room without your notes.
Tips for Better Presentations with AI Speaker Notes
Using AI speaker notes isn’t just about saving time. It can make your presentation stronger, sharper, and more engaging. Here’s how to get even more out of it.
Bulletproof your workflow:
- Build your deck first, then generate speaker notes
- Use AI prompts to explore different tone options
- Break long notes into bullet points or numbered lists
- Time yourself reading each note out loud
- Use the notes as a script for video presentations or webinars
Helpful prompts to use:
| Goal | Prompt Example |
|---|---|
| Be persuasive | “Write a confident speaker note to convince investors our churn rate is improving.” |
| Add storytelling | “Add a short story to explain the impact of our product update.” |
| Sound natural | “Make this note more conversational, under 50 words.” |
Final Thoughts
AI speaker notes aren’t just a nice-to-have anymore. They’re a serious productivity booster.
Whether you’re building a 5-slide deck or preparing for a 90-minute webinar, having smart, tailored speaker notes at your fingertips makes a huge difference.
You save time you present with clarity, you sound like you know exactly what you’re talking about.
If you’ve never tried AI speaker notes before, now’s the time. Start with one tool, generate a few notes, and see how much smoother your next presentation goes.