Is Google Behind the Mysterious AI Image Generator Known as "Nano Banana"?

A mysterious AI image generator named "Nano Banana" has sparked widespread curiosity online, with users praising its impressive image quality and creative capabilities. The model has been quietly appearing on LMArena, a platform that lets users compare AI models by pitting them against each other in image generation challenges. Since its emergence, Nano Banana has drawn attention for consistently producing highly detailed, coherent, and visually striking images—often outperforming other models in user tests. Despite its growing reputation, the identity of the model’s creator remains unknown. However, speculation has heavily pointed toward Google, fueled by several circumstantial clues. The name "Nano Banana" may hint at a lightweight, efficient model capable of running locally on consumer devices—a concept Google has previously used in describing its smaller AI models. The term "nano" has been associated with Google’s efforts to bring advanced AI capabilities to edge devices. Further fueling the theory, Google has recently been teasing an upcoming announcement related to AI and imaging. On Tuesday, Logan Kilpatrick, Google’s head of product for AI Studio, posted a banana emoji on X. Around the same time, Naina Raisinghani, a product manager at Google DeepMind, shared a photo resembling Maurizio Cattelan’s famous 2019 artwork—a banana duct-taped to a wall. The timing and imagery have led many online observers to interpret these as playful nods to the emerging model. Business Insider tested Nano Banana on LMArena and found it to be highly capable, delivering strong results on a range of prompts, though it occasionally made minor errors like misspelling words. The model’s performance has been described as “surprisingly advanced” for a system that hasn’t been officially announced. Google has not confirmed the model’s origin. A spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. With a major Google event scheduled for Wednesday—focused on new hardware and AI features—many are now wondering if the company will officially unveil Nano Banana or reveal more about its new AI imaging tools. Whether or not Jimmy Fallon will make an appearance, the banana-themed mystery may soon be solved.