Google Introduces Nano Banana AI to Upgrade Search, Photos, and NotebookLM

Google's New AI Model Nano Banana

Google has announced that its latest artificial‑intelligence model, called Nano Banana, will be integrated into a range of its services. The company describes Nano Banana as a "major upgrade" over its previous image‑editing model, aiming to make generative tasks more reliable and user‑friendly.

NotebookLM Video Enhancements

NotebookLM, Google’s AI‑powered notebook tool, already offered a video overview feature that generated short video summaries of notebook content. The Nano Banana update expands this capability with a broader set of video styles. Users can now select from whiteboard, anime, retro print, and the original Classic style. In addition to style selection, the interface now lets users choose between two general formats: "Brief" and "Explainer." Both formats support optional prompts that guide the AI toward a desired tone or focus, although the output remains generative and not guaranteed to match the prompt exactly.

Upcoming Photo Editing Upgrade

Google Photos will also receive the Nano Banana model, though a specific launch date has not been confirmed. The upgrade is expected to improve the app’s conversational editing feature, which was introduced last month. While the earlier conversational edits were praised for ease of use, testers noted that the underlying model sometimes produced inconsistent results. Google expects Nano Banana to reduce that frustration and deliver more consistent edits, making the experience smoother for users who rely on natural‑language commands to modify images.

Impact on Search and User Experience

Beyond NotebookLM and Photos, Google plans to extend Nano Banana’s capabilities to its search platform. Although details are limited, the integration suggests that search‑related visual tasks—such as image generation or editing within search results—will benefit from the same model enhancements. By unifying the AI backbone across these services, Google aims to provide a more cohesive and powerful user experience.

Timeline and Availability

Google has not set a firm timeline for the rollout, but the company indicated that Nano Banana will appear in the Photos app "in the next few weeks." This suggests a relatively near‑term release, though exact dates remain unspecified. The company’s messaging emphasizes that the update will bring a noticeable improvement in both image editing and video generation, positioning Nano Banana as a key component of its AI strategy.

Overall Significance

The introduction of Nano Banana reflects Google’s continued push to embed advanced generative AI across its consumer products. By enhancing visual creation tools and streamlining conversational interactions, the model seeks to make complex AI tasks more accessible to everyday users. The expanded style options in NotebookLM and the promised consistency in Photo edits illustrate Google’s focus on both creativity and usability.