Communicate Technical Topics to a Non-Technical Audience with Google Gemini

In a room full of IT professionals, words and phrases like “tokenization,” “retrieval-augmented generation,” and “context window” need no explanation. But when technology leaders present to their CEOs and other company leaders about topics like AI, they often find that they need to translate these terms into everyday business language, or else risk being met by blank stares.

In the moment, this can be maddening. You know the opportunities and challenges that a technology like generative AI presents for your company. And you know that the organization’s other leaders will likely see things the same way you do, if only you can make yourself understood.

Instead of trying to bridge this communication gap on the fly, use Google Gemini to help translate your technical vision into bottom-line business value.

Step 1: Figure Out What You Want to Say

Your CEO might not speak “tech,” but Google Gemini does. Open up a new chat and explain exactly what it is you hope to communicate to leadership. Here, you can feel free to be as technical as you wish. Maybe you’ll tell Gemini that you’re thinking of building a RAG pipeline to vectorize your company’s proprietary data. Or, maybe you’ll float the idea of using parameter-efficient fine-tuning methods like LoRA to deploy open-weight models on-premises, without exploding your cloud inference costs. You can even upload your technical documents to Gemini, directly in the chat window.

No matter how in-the-weeds you get, Gemini will follow your train of thought, parsing the complexity to find the business value at the core of your plans.

Step 2: Let Gemini Be Your Translator

Now that you’ve captured your vision in your own words, let Gemini help you translate those words into language that will connect with your audience. Use this sample prompt, along with your brainstorming from Step 1:

I am the CIO at [company], and I am trying to build the case to [adopt generative AI solutions]. I need to explain the technical concept of generative AI to a non-technical audience (the CEO and board). Help me write talking points that will help me convey what generative AI is, ways it could help us digitally transform, and why it’s important to our growth as a company. Include details about how it could potentially re-focus our technical talent on more strategic work, help enhance our workforce’s productivity, and help us better serve our global workforce and customers.

In just a few moments, you’ll have a set of boardroom-ready talking points. Gemini might, for instance, break down the benefits of RAG in simple terms by noting that it anchors AI to internal data like HR policies and technical manuals. Or, it might point out the business benefits of arming IT staff and engineers with generative AI tools, noting the opportunity to shift employees’ focus from low-value, repetitive tasks to innovation.

Step 3: Create Content

Now that you have your core narrative and language nailed down, Gemini can help you create a more structured pitch. Instead of staring at a blank slide deck, prompt Gemini for ideas on how to build out a presentation that will sway your peers in the C-suite. Try this prompt:

I need to build a presentation to deliver this information to the board. Turn these talking points into a 10-slide presentation. For each slide, write a headline, three to four short bullet points for the slide itself, and the speaker notes I should use to explain the concept out loud.

Gemini will generate a full, downloadable presentation deck directly in the chat. If you like, you can export the presentation to Google Slides and make your own edits. Or, you can command Gemini to generate a new version with changes to elements like design, language, and narrative flow.

Step 4: Make Gemini Your Sparring Partner

Before you go into your meeting, open a new chat in Gemini, providing your speaker notes and a link to your presentation, and then ask it to act as a skeptical executive: You are my CEO. Review this presentation and grill me on cost, security, and ROI. Ask your toughest questions, one at a time.

Even though Gemini helped you prepare your presentation, it will seamlessly pivot to the role of rigorous executive or tough board member, pressing for more details on project payback, hidden risks, and timeline. By practicing your pitch in this low-stakes environment, you can make certain that you’ll be confident when it’s time for the real thing.