Google on Tuesday released<\/a> Nano Banana 2 Lite, the newest version of its in-house AI video and image generator. This version is significantly faster and more affordable than its previous release, the company claims.<\/p>\n The model has much lower latency and can produce images in four seconds, which makes it a good option if you need to workshop images and produce a large number of them in quick succession, Google says. It costs $0.034 per 1,000 images, which makes it quite affordable for people looking to draft and perfect their content at scale.<\/p>\n The release follows last summer\u2019s launch of the original Nano Banana, powered by Gemini 3.1 Flash, and the February release of Nano Banana 2<\/a>. The latter introduced new powers for the generator, including the ability to create more realistic images. The company also offers Nano Banana Pro, which is described as a more powerful (and more expensive) model for advanced use cases.<\/p>\n While Nano Banana 2 is referred to as a \u201cgeneralist workhorse,\u201d Banana 2 Lite is optimized for high-volume workflows that need to occur at a rapid pace, Google claims.<\/p>\n Despite consumer backlash over so-called AI slop<\/a> created by image models, companies continue to invest heavily<\/a> in AI tools that can generate imagery and videos. However, Google often markets its models as convenient tools that can assist with the creation of advertisements.<\/p>\n That said, the ties between Hollywood and AI companies continue to tighten \u2014 much to the consternation of some creative communities and audiences. Indeed, Google just struck a $75 million deal<\/a> with the much-beloved indie studio A24 \u2014 a partnership that has suffered significant<\/a> criticism<\/a> from fans.<\/p>\n Nano Banana 2 Lite is now available through Google AI Studio and the Gemini API, as well as Google\u2019s Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. Google says it serves as a replacement for Nano Banana, which the company now refers to as its \u201clegacy model.\u201d<\/p>\n \n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Google-.gif?w=680\")