“AI isn’t just the future — it’s already building our present.”
— Me, after completing this lab series 😎
👋 Introduction
Building AI apps used to sound like something only elite data scientists could do. But now? With Google Cloud’s Vertex AI, you can build powerful, real-world applications using models
like Gemini and Imagen — without needing a PhD.
Recently, I completed the “Build Real-World AI Applications with Gemini and Imagen” course through Google Cloud Skills Boost, and I’m genuinely impressed. This hands-on series walks you through four labs, teaching you how to use generative AI to solve real-world problems with just a few lines of code.
Here’s a breakdown of what I learned — and why I think this is a game-changer for developers.
☁️ What is Vertex AI?
Vertex AI is Google Cloud’s end-to-end platform for building, deploying, and scaling machine learning models. It gives developers access to powerful generative AI tools, including:
Gemini: A multimodal model that can understand and generate both text and image-based responses.
Imagen: A state-of-the-art model that generates images from text prompts.
Combined, these tools make building AI applications shockingly simple.
🧠 Lab 1: Build an AI Image Recognition App using Gemini
⏱️ Duration: 15 minutes
🔧 Model Used: Gemini
In this lab, I created an app that lets users upload an image and ask questions about it. The Gemini model responds with text-based insights like:
“What’s happening in this image?”
“Describe all the objects.”
🔍 Why it matters: This unlocks use cases in accessibility, surveillance, content moderation, and more.
🎨 Lab 2: Build an AI Image Generator App using Imagen
⏱️ Duration: 15 minutes
🎨 Model Used: Imagen
Time to flip the script — text → image. This lab taught me how to send text prompts like:
“A robot sitting by a campfire in the mountains.”
… and receive stunning AI-generated visuals.
✨ Use Cases: Marketing visuals, product concepts, game art, social media content — on demand.
💬 Lab 3: Build a Chat Application using Gemini
⏱️ Duration: 15 minutes
💬 Model Used: Gemini
Here, I built a simple but powerful chat app that sends text prompts and receives real-time, personalized responses using Gemini.
The lab covered:
Streaming vs. non-streaming responses
Session management
Prompt tuning for smarter conversations
💡 Real-world potential: Virtual assistants, AI tutors, smart customer support bots.
🧩 Lab 4: Build a Multi-Modal GenAI App (Challenge Lab)
⏱️ Duration: 30 minutes
🔥 Level: Intermediate/Advanced
This was the boss level of the lab series. I combined everything from the previous labs into a single multi-modal GenAI application that could:
Chat using Gemini
Generate images using Imagen
Respond contextually based on user input
🧠 Key takeaway: This is how you build real-world, production-ready AI applications — flexible, scalable, and genuinely smart.
🛠️ Tech Stack Recap
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Vertex AI SDK
Python (via Notebooks)
Gemini (for text & image analysis)
Imagen (for image generation)
🌍 Real-World Applications
The skills you gain from building apps with Gemini and Imagen can be applied across a wide range of industries:
In e-commerce, you can use Gemini to power visual product Q&A systems that help users understand items just by uploading images. For creative design, Imagen can instantly generate high-quality marketing visuals from simple text prompts — saving hours of design time.
When it comes to accessibility, Gemini shines by describing images for visually impaired users, making the digital world more inclusive. Chatbots built using Gemini can deliver real-time, intelligent, and personalized customer support experiences.
In game development, Imagen becomes a powerful ally by generating stunning concept art from storyline ideas or mood prompts. Finally, in the world of cybersecurity, Gemini can help analyze surveillance images to detect suspicious activity or flag anomalies in real-time.
🤯 Final Thoughts
After completing these labs, one thing is crystal clear:
GenAI is no longer science fiction. It’s a developer tool.
If you’re a developer, student, or tech enthusiast — this is the best time to get hands-on with AI. Google Cloud makes it incredibly easy to bring your ideas to life with real-world impact.
📌 Want to try it yourself?
You can explore these labs on Google Cloud Skills Boost → just search for:
“Build Real World AI Applications with Gemini and Imagen”
✍️ Let’s Connect
If you’re also building GenAI apps or just exploring AI, I’d love to connect! Drop a comment below or reach out on [LinkedIn/Medium DM].
And hey, if you’d like a full step-by-step tutorial or want help building your own GenAI project, just let me know — I got you. 💻⚡
Thanks for reading!
C
laps are free — so are follows 😉