Googles New AI Image Editor Challenges Adobe
A New Challenger in AI Image Editing
The potential for generative AI to disrupt established software businesses and the jobs associated with them is a frequent topic of discussion. A new Google AI image-editing tool serves as a prime example of this threat. It packs many of the features found in powerful Adobe software, but the Google version is available for free or at a lower cost, all while being integrated into a comprehensive AI service with a wide range of features.
This raises the question: Is Google's new AI photo editing tool actually any good? We decided to find out.
First Impressions How Does Nano Banana Perform
My colleague Hugh Langley tested an early version of this Google image model, named Nano Banana. His initial assessment was that it generally outperformed competing tools. While it wasn't perfect, occasionally struggling to replicate faces when merging photos, he found it was particularly effective at making small adjustments to existing images.
In the example below, Hugh prompted the tool to add glasses to his photo and change his T-shirt color to red. Many other AI tools managed the glasses and color change, but Google's was the only one that preserved the original striped pattern on the T-shirt. The result was also noticeably sharper than the others.
Putting the Fun in Functional A Banana Boat Test
When the full photo-editing AI tool was released as part of Google Gemini, Hugh and I decided to have some more fun with it. We uploaded simple photos of ourselves and gave Gemini the prompt: "a picture of both of us riding on a banana boat."
This was the initial result, which curiously included an unknown man on a jet ski in the background. Our own personal security, perhaps?
I then took that image and asked Gemini to remove the man on the jet ski while keeping everything else the same. It completed the task perfectly in just a few seconds.
Because the image became slightly pixelated after being shared back and forth, I started over with our original photos and used the same prompt. This was the fresh result, generated in moments:
Impressive but Imperfect The Final Verdict
The entire process was fast, free, and incredibly easy. The results were impressive, but they certainly weren't perfect. For instance, Gemini gave me unnaturally bright white teeth. It clearly didn't realize I grew up in the UK.
"At least it looks a bit like you! Mine definitely does not look like me," Hugh commented. Gemini had also made him appear thinner, a change he, as a new father with little time for exercise, wasn't complaining about. "That's me once I've lost the dad weight," he joked.
Ultimately, while Google's tool has some amusing quirks and isn't flawless at replicating human features, its speed, accessibility, and powerful editing capabilities make it a formidable new player in the world of digital imaging.
