Google on Thursday introduced a new version of its popular AI image-generation model, “Nano Banana,” with a focus on faster performance, as the search giant intensifies efforts to attract more users to its artificial intelligence ecosystem.
The updated model, dubbed Nano Banana 2, will be rolled out across multiple products, including the Gemini app, AI Mode and Lens features in Search, and the AI-powered video tool Flow, according to Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company.
The launch marks Google’s latest move in the intensifying artificial intelligence race, a push that has helped the company compete more effectively with ChatGPT from OpenAI after a series of early missteps.
Investor confidence has followed. Shares of Alphabet have climbed 47% over the past six months, buoyed by growing traction in its AI offerings.
Google first introduced the Nano Banana AI image-editing tool in August 2025. It quickly became an online phenomenon, drawing 13 million new users to the Gemini app in just four days during September. By mid-October, users had generated more than 5 billion images using the tool. The company later released an upgraded version, Nano Banana Pro, in November.
Google said Nano Banana 2 is powered by the faster and more cost-efficient “Flash” models within the Gemini platform, enabling quicker image generation and editing. The company also highlighted improved instruction-following capabilities and sharper visual detail.
In November, Google also launched Gemini 3, an AI model whose success reportedly prompted internal urgency at OpenAI to accelerate its own product development. Strong engagement driven by Gemini 3 helped the Gemini app surpass 750 million monthly active users by the end of December.
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