Gemini Nano Banana AI tool goes viral globally
Google's latest artificial intelligence tool has sparked a viral global phenomenon that's reshaping how people interact with digital creativity. The "Nano Banana" trend, powered by the tech giant's Gemini 2.5 Flash Image model, has transformed millions of ordinary photos into hyper-realistic 3D figurines, creating one of 2025's most explosive social media crazes.
The trend reached fever pitch this week when Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that over 200 million images have been created using the tool since its August launch. The surge has been so dramatic that the Gemini app crossed 10 million downloads within days of Nano Banana's release, demonstrating unprecedented user adoption for an AI editing feature.
The craze has transcended typical tech adoption patterns, sweeping through India's political corridors with remarkable speed. Chief Minister ,cabinet ministers joined the trend after being nudged by younger colleagues, sharing his own 3D figurine
The phenomenon extends beyond politics into entertainment, with Bollywood fan pages creating realistic 3D versions of actors and celebrities sharing figurines across Instagram, TikTok, and X platforms. From pets to public figures, users are experimenting with the tool's ability to maintain facial features and characteristics while transforming subjects into collectible-style miniatures.
Viral Adoption
What distinguishes Nano Banana from previous AI image tools is its ability to preserve character consistency across edits while generating professional-quality results in seconds. Users simply upload a photo and apply Google's official prompt:
"Create a 1/7 scale commercialized figurine of the characters in the picture, in a realistic style, in a real environment".
The AI then produces images that resemble high-end collectible figures complete with acrylic bases and packaging mockups.
The tool, officially launched on August 25 as part of Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, represents Google's response to user demands for higher-quality image generation with greater creative control. Unlike competitors, the system maintains subject likeness across multiple edits while supporting multi-turn editing and photo blending capabilities.
Google has implemented transparency measures including visible watermarks and invisible SynthID digital markers on all generated content. The tool is free for Gemini users, though enterprise access through the Gemini API costs $30 per million output tokens, with each image costing approximately $0.039.
The Nano Banana phenomenon illustrates how AI tools can rapidly evolve from technical innovations into cultural movements, with Google's strategic timing and accessibility creating the perfect conditions for viral adoption across diverse demographics worldwide.