Google Nano Banana AI integration and Google Pics launch

Google has introduced Nano Banana, an image generation tool within the Gemini ecosystem (technically known as Gemini Flash 2.5). The technology allows users to perform complex visual edits and generate customized images using text prompts.

Initial implementations included integration into Google Earth, enabling users to visualize historical sites, educational infographics, or architectural proposals through satellite and 3D views. This rollout coincided with a change in watermarking strategy; while visible watermarks may be removed, Google is maintaining the use of SynthID, an invisible watermark. This shift has prompted concerns regarding misinformation since the invisible mark is not detectable by the human eye and requires specific tools or Gemini queries to verify authenticity.

Building on this technology, Google has launched ‘Google Pics’, an AI-powered creation and editing tool designed to compete with platforms like Canva and Adobe Express. Built on the Nano Banana model, Google Pics features object segmentation, in-image text editing and translation across 29 languages, and upscaling capabilities up to 4K resolution.

Google Pics is being integrated into Google Workspace, with initial availability in Google Docs and Slides, followed by Google Drive. The service is currently rolling out to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, as well as various Google Workspace business and education plans. While the tool is free for Gemini users subject to daily limits, developers using the API face a cost of approximately $0.03 per image.