I attempted Google’s ‘nano banana’ AI picture editor that topped LMArena

A thriller AI picture editor named “nano banana” just lately rose to the highest of LMArena, the most well-liked AI leaderboard. The mannequin simply bested its opponents within the area, which lets customers take a look at AI fashions head-to-head. Now, Google DeepMind has revealed that nano banana is definitely the alias for Gemini 2.5 Flash Picture.

Earlier than the large reveal, Googlers did drop some hints:

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Now that the mannequin has been formally rolled out, Google DeepMind stated that Gemini will probably be higher at modifying your photographs. Merchandise like this transfer us a step nearer to a post-Photoshop world. As a substitute of studying the technical ins and outs of picture modifying software program, which may take years to grasp, AI picture editors will make it potential for anybody to edit a picture with only a few easy voice or textual content prompts — in concept.

The Google DeepMind group says this mannequin has been skilled to make topics extra constant throughout varied edits of AI-generated photographs. This has been a problem for AI picture fashions, given their unpredictable nature. I attempted out the brand new “nano banana” mannequin for myself, and it labored… nice.

The power to add and natively edit images in Gemini has been round since April of this 12 months. With Gemini’s up to date mannequin, Google says you are able to do issues like change a topic’s outfit and site, whereas conserving their likeness the identical.

You may as well add a number of images and have the themes seem collectively in the identical picture, or add and alter particular particulars in an uploaded picture to, say, see what a room appears like with a unique colour of paint or totally different furnishings.

Here is Gemini’s try at modifying my canine into the downward canine pose and relocating her to a yoga studio. Her likeness is identical, and it efficiently edited the picture to make her eyes open, however her physique is not arched in the best way it must be. (I might know, I’ve seen this playful pose from her many occasions.)

Here is my canine Lola, not doing yoga
Credit score: Mashable

Here is the Gemini-edited model once I prompted it to open her eyes, put her within the downward canine pose, and alter the background to a yoga studio. It is shut, however not fairly proper.
Credit score: Mashable

As Google DeepMind stated in its announcement, the mannequin may not at all times get it proper. There may nonetheless be inaccuracies with nice particulars, textual content within the picture, and inconsistencies. With my experiment, my canine’s fur appears overly clean, however her total coloring, dimension, and form keep the identical. All photographs have a visual watermark and an invisible watermark referred to as SynthID to mitigate any confusion over whether or not they’re actual or AI-generated. This replace is now dwell, so you may strive it out for your self within the Gemini app.