 "Image: @Shruti3256911 and @ShreyaYadav___ on X")
A new AI trend has taken over social media, months after ChatGPT’s Ghibli-style AI craze.
This time, it is based on Gemini Nano by Google and is called ‘Nano Banana’.
Social media users are seeing their feeds filled with images of women wearing bright red sarees, their long, wavy hair decorated with flowers and flowing down their backs.
The resemblance is so striking that it can be hard at first to tell which images are real and which are created by AI.
But what is this trend all about? How does it work? And is it safe?
Let’s take a look:
What is the Nano Banana trend?
The trend comes from Google’s Gemini Nano, an AI tool.
It allows people to turn their usual photos into 3D figurine-like portraits with smooth skin and a cartoon-style appearance.
As more people began trying it out, it sparked a wave of vintage saree portraits.
Many women started transforming their pictures into retro-style images with traditional sarees and a cinematic feel.
Instagram is flooded with chiffon sarees, flowing drapes, and warm golden light, as millions join the trend.
By mid-September, over 500 million images had been created or edited on the Gemini app, with hundreds of millions more made on other platforms, according to Medium.
The trend has grown so much that the Gemini AI chatbot app has climbed to the No. 1 spot on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store charts in India. Reports say that between August 26 and September 9, the app gained more than 23 million new users.
Google Gemini Nano Banana trend: How to create the viral saree look
It’s easy to use. Upload a photo, add a prompt, and the tool will transform it.
Open the Gemini app and sign in with your Google account. Look for the Banana icon and select “Try Image Editing.”
Pick a clear solo portrait where your face is visible.
Click Generate and wait a few seconds. The AI will create your retro saree portrait.
How safe is the Gemini Nano Banana tool?
While tech firms like Google and OpenAI offer safety measures to protect user content, the actual risk depends on how carefully we use these platforms. Uploaded content can still be misused, changed without consent, or wrongly linked to someone.
In the case of Gemini Nano’s ‘Nano Banana’ images, they come with invisible digital watermarks called SynthID and metadata tags to mark them as AI-generated.
As per aistudio.google.com, “All images created or edited with Gemini 2.5 Flash Image include an invisible SynthID digital watermark to clearly identify them as AI-generated. Build with confidence and provide transparency for your users."
Even though there are concerns that AI images may be realistic enough to be used in deepfakes, the hidden SynthID mark can show an image’s AI origin when scanned using specific tools. This can help confirm where an image came from.
However, not everyone can access these detection tools. So, even if a watermark is there, most people won’t be able to confirm if an image is AI-made.
Experts have also said watermarks are not fully reliable because they can be copied or removed.
Recently, VC Sajjanar, an IPS officer, shared an advisory asking people to be careful when joining the trend.
“Be cautious with trending topics on the internet! Falling into the trap of the ‘Nano Banana’ craze can be risky. If you share personal information online, scams are bound to happen. With just one click, the money in your bank accounts can end up in the hands of criminals,” he posted on X.
He also told users not to upload personal photos or details on fake websites or unofficial apps pretending to be part of the Gemini platform.
In another case, an Instagram user named Jhalak Bhawnani said she noticed something odd while using the tool.
“How Gemini knows I have mole in this part of my body? You can see this mole… this is very scary, very creepy… I am still not sure how this happened,” she said.
How to safely take part in the trend
If you plan to join the trend, it’s important to follow these basic safety steps:
Think carefully before uploading your photos. Avoid sharing private or sensitive pictures, as it’s hard to know how AI tools may use them.
Remove any metadata, like location details or device information, from your photos before posting them to prevent accidental leaks.
Review the privacy settings on both AI tools and social media platforms before sharing your images so they are not misused.
Keep copies of your original photos and the prompts you used. This can help you spot if your content gets changed or used without your consent.
Check if the platform claims the right to use your images for training its AI models before you upload them.