Google Launches ‘Nano Banana 2 Lite’ to Accelerate AI Image Generation at Lower Cost
Google has unveiled Nano Banana 2 Lite, a new version of its in-house AI image generator. The American technology giant claims the latest model delivers significantly faster performance while substantially reducing operational costs. The model was officially launched on Tuesday.
In a move to strengthen its position in the rapidly growing AI-powered image and video generation market, Google has unveiled Nano Banana 2 Lite, a new version of its in-house AI image generator. The American technology giant claims the latest model delivers significantly faster performance while substantially reducing operational costs. The model was officially launched on Tuesday.
According to Google, the new AI model features much lower latency, enabling it to generate high-quality images from user prompts in as little as four seconds. This makes it particularly suitable for users who need to create or experiment with large volumes of AI-generated images quickly.
The company also highlighted the model's cost efficiency. Generating 1,000 images using Nano Banana 2 Lite will cost just US$0.034, making it one of Google's most affordable AI image-generation solutions to date.
Google's Nano Banana series debuted last summer with the original Nano Banana, powered by Gemini 3.1 Flash. Earlier this year, the company introduced Nano Banana 2, which gained popularity for producing highly realistic images. Google also offers Nano Banana Pro, a more powerful and premium version designed for professional-grade creative work.
The company says while Nano Banana 2 remains a reliable all-purpose image-generation model, Nano Banana 2 Lite has been specifically optimized for high-volume image generation workflows, prioritizing speed and efficiency.
Despite growing criticism from some users and content creators over AI-generated imagery—often referred to as "AI slop"—major technology companies continue investing heavily in AI-powered image and video generation tools. Google is positioning its AI models primarily as productivity tools for advertising and commercial content creation.
Meanwhile, collaboration between Hollywood and AI developers continues to expand, raising concerns among filmmakers and audiences alike.
Recently, Google signed a US$75 million partnership agreement with independent film studio A24 to promote and expand the use of its AI technologies, a move that has sparked widespread criticism among film enthusiasts.
Nano Banana 2 Lite is now available through Google AI Studio, the Gemini API, and Google's Gemini Enterprise Agent platform. Following the release of the new model, Google has officially designated the original Nano Banana as a legacy model.
On the same day, Google also announced expanded availability of its advanced AI video-generation model, Gemini Omni Flash, which was first showcased during this year's Google I/O event. The service is priced at US$0.10 per second of AI-generated video.
In addition, the company demonstrated a new application called Omni Product Studio, which, according to Google, can transform static images generated with Omni into cinematic advertising videos with minimal effort.
//DBTech/BMT/OR//
