generative-ai
A Google Cloud–maintained repository of sample code, Jupyter notebooks, and reference implementations demonstrating how to build generative AI applications using Gemini models and Vertex AI on Google Cloud. It covers agents, RAG/grounding, vision, speech, and search use cases with practical, production-oriented examples.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | GoogleCloudPlatform/generative-ai |
| Owner | GoogleCloudPlatform |
| Primary language | Jupyter Notebook |
| License | Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 17.2k |
| Forks | 4.3k |
| Open issues | 73 |
| Latest release | Unknown |
| Last updated | 2026-07-07 |
| Source | https://github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/generative-ai |
What generative-ai is
Collection of Jupyter Notebooks and Python samples integrated with Google Cloud Vertex AI APIs, Gemini models, and enterprise agent platforms. Includes function calling, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), multimodal capabilities (vision, audio), and agentic workflows using LangChain and related frameworks.
Get the generative-ai source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/generative-ai.gitcd generative-ai# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Requires active Google Cloud project with Vertex AI and Gemini API access; costs scale with model usage and storage queries.
- Most samples run in Jupyter (Colab, Workbench, or local); local execution requires SDK installation and authentication setup.
- Code uses Google Cloud Python SDK; adapt authentication, environment configuration, and GCP service account permissions before deploying to production.
- Notebooks are educational; refactor for production: add error handling, observability/logging, input validation, and rate-limiting before live deployment.
- Agent Platform and related services evolve; periodically reconcile samples with current API versions to avoid deprecation issues.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Seeking a production-grade framework or SDK — This is a samples and notebooks repository, not a maintained framework. For production deployment, use the Agent Development Kit (ADK), Agent Starter Pack, or Vertex AI Python SDK directly.
- Requiring versioned, stable API contracts — Samples are updated frequently and may use experimental APIs or features. Code may break with Vertex AI or Gemini API updates; not guaranteed backward compatible.
- Building on non-Google Cloud infrastructure — All examples are tightly coupled to Google Cloud services (Vertex AI, Gemini APIs). Minimal cross-platform guidance; not suitable for on-premises, other cloud, or edge-only deployments.
- Needing long-term commercial support SLA — Repository is explicitly a demonstrative resource with no official support guarantee. Issues are community-driven; response times and resolution are not contractual.
License & commercial use
Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0). Permissive OSI-approved license allowing commercial and private use, modification, and distribution, subject to attribution and liability disclaimers.
Apache-2.0 permits commercial use of the sample code itself. However, this repository is explicitly a demonstrative resource with no support guarantee. Using samples in production requires adapting them for your compliance, security, and operational needs. Google Cloud services (Vertex AI, Gemini APIs) invoked by the code are subject to separate Google Cloud Terms of Service and pricing; review those separately.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Adequate |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Moderate |
| DEV.co fit | Good |
| Assessment confidence | High |
Code samples do not inherently guarantee security. Key considerations: authenticate securely to Google Cloud (use service accounts, not embedded keys); validate and sanitize LLM inputs to mitigate prompt injection; apply least-privilege IAM roles; enforce encryption at rest/transit for sensitive data; audit agent logs for unauthorized access or model misuse; review and configure content filtering for multimodal models; implement rate-limiting to prevent abuse.
Alternatives to consider
Agent Development Kit (ADK) Samples
Purpose-built, production-ready agent templates with SDKs and deployment patterns; higher maturity than notebooks but steeper learning curve.
OpenAI Cookbook / LangChain Documentation
Multi-cloud alternative for LLM development; not Google-specific but broader ecosystem and community support.
Anthropic Claude Samples / Cohere Examples
Competitor model APIs with their own sample repositories; choose based on model requirements, cost, and regulatory constraints.
Build on generative-ai with DEV.co software developers
Explore the repository notebooks, try them in Colab or Workbench, and adapt them to your data and use case. For production deployments, review the Agent Starter Pack and security best practices.
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generative-ai FAQ
Can I use these samples directly in production?
Do I need a Google Cloud account?
Is this an officially supported Google product?
How do I adapt a notebook for my own data?
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Ready to build generative AI on Google Cloud?
Explore the repository notebooks, try them in Colab or Workbench, and adapt them to your data and use case. For production deployments, review the Agent Starter Pack and security best practices.