Google’s Nano Banana Transforms Selfies into Realistic Figurines

Google's Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, colloquially dubbed Nano Banana, has sparked a viral trend by converting user photos into hyper-realistic collectible figurines. The tool, which emerged as a dark horse in LMArena's blind tests, leverages AI to generate studio-quality renders from a single prompt.

The process requires no technical expertise: users upload an image, and Nano Banana outputs a 3D-rendered scene indistinguishable from professional miniature photography. Its sudden popularity mirrors earlier AI-driven art trends, though with a distinctly commercial twist—each digital figurine carries the veneer of a physical collectible.

Beyond personal novelties, the technology hints at broader applications for digital asset creators. The seamless generation of high-fidelity models could streamline workflows for NFT artists and metaverse developers, though Google has yet to announce formal partnerships with crypto platforms.