The AI Saree Trend And Your Photo Privacy
A new AI trend has taken social media by storm, allowing users to transform their selfies into stunning, retro Bollywood-style portraits with the click of a button. The Google Gemini Nano Banana saree filter creates nostalgic images complete with chiffon sarees and cinematic lighting. But as its popularity soars, so do important questions about digital privacy and the security of our personal photos.
What is the Viral AI Saree Trend
The Gemini Nano Banana tool uses Google's AI to turn simple selfies into stylized, Bollywood-inspired art. The key features that make it so popular include:
- 90s Bollywood Vibes: The filter applies golden-hour lighting, dramatic poses, and grainy textures for a classic film look.
- Traditional Sarees: It drapes users in flowing chiffon sarees with vibrant colors and intricate patterns.
- Customizable Edits: You can adjust the final image's style, background, lighting, and colors to your liking.
While the trend is a fun trip down memory lane, some of the AI-generated details have been raising eyebrows for being a little too realistic—or unrealistic.
When AI Gets Too Real
Sometimes, the AI can produce unsettling details that weren't in the original photo. For example, Instagram user Jhalakbhawani shared a selfie in a green suit and asked the AI to add a saree. The resulting image included a mole on her hand that she doesn't have.
This happens because Gemini's AI predicts patterns based on massive datasets of images to generate new content. While it's usually a coincidence, the occasional insertion of personal-feeling details can be unnerving.
Potential Risks of Uploading Personal Photos
Before you jump on the trend, it's important to consider the potential risks associated with uploading your photos to any AI platform:
- Facial recognition misuse
- Deepfake creation
- Data breaches
- Identity theft
Furthermore, unclear terms of service can sometimes allow apps to use your images for AI training or commercial purposes without your explicit consent.
Is Google Gemini Safe
To address these concerns, Google embeds SynthID watermarks and metadata into AI-generated images to help identify them as AI content. However, experts warn that these safeguards are not foolproof, as watermarks can be tampered with and metadata can be stripped from files.
How to Use Gemini AI Safely
You can still enjoy AI trends while protecting your privacy. Here are a few tips to stay safe:
- Avoid uploading sensitive or private photos.
- Remove metadata like location and device info from photos before uploading.
- Limit how widely you share the AI-generated images on social media.
- Use trusted tools to verify AI-generated images if you are unsure of their origin.
How to Remove Your Photos from Gemini
Google Gemini stores the photos you upload in your Google Account activity. Fortunately, you have control over this data. Here’s how to remove your photos and manage your activity.
Steps to delete your Gemini Apps activity:
- Access Gemini Apps Activity: Go to your Gemini activity page, which you can find in the app's settings or by visiting myactivity.google.com/product/gemini.
- Choose what to delete:
- To delete everything, select the option to remove all activity.
- To delete recent activity, choose a time period like the last hour, last day, or a custom range.
- To delete a specific photo, find the individual upload and click the "Delete" or "X" icon next to it.
- Turn off future activity (optional): You can stop Gemini from saving your activity going forward by turning off the "Keep Activity" setting. Note that some data may still be retained for up to 72 hours for service purposes, but it won't appear in your activity log.
Important: Deleting your Gemini activity does not affect photos stored in other Google services like Google Photos.
The Bottom Line
The Nano Banana AI saree trend is a creative and engaging way to experiment with AI. However, your privacy should always come first. By being mindful of what you upload, checking the edits, and actively managing your Google activity, you can enjoy the fun while keeping your digital footprint secure.
