Reddit Users Claim Google's AI Image Generator Has Deteriorated, But Is That Really the Case?

Recent discussions on Reddit have sparked debate about whether Google’s Nano Banana 2 image generator has worsened over time. Some users claim that images produced by the model now appear flat or cartoonish, regardless of the level of detail in their prompts. However, a closer examination of the situation reveals some interesting insights.

A thread on Reddit comparing images generated with the same prompt using Nano Banana 2 and ChatGPT caught my attention. Users were expressing concerns about the quality regressions they perceived in Nano Banana 2’s performance. One user stated that ‘Nano 2 had a serious downgrade,’ while another claimed, ‘Yea I’m a Pro user, and the image quality seems to have been downgraded a lot.’

However, upon further investigation, it appears that these concerns may not be entirely justified. The last official update for Nano Banana was in February, with no public announcement of any changes since then. Additionally, Google’s Gemini AI platform, which uses Nano Banana 2, received an update in July with the release of Gemini 3.6 Flash. This update included improvements to model selection and orchestration but did not modify the image generator itself.

Interestingly, Reddit users have been complaining about quality regressions dating back to May, well before the recent Gemini 3.6 Flash announcement. This suggests that some users may have perceived changes over time, even if there hasn’t been an official update. Google also released a new image model called Nano Banana 2 Lite in July and has integrated Nano Banana 2 into products like Google Earth.

However, it’s essential to note that the integration of Nano Banana 2 into these products does not necessarily imply any changes to the underlying image generator itself. The text model interpreting prompts may have changed, which could lead to noticeably different images without modifying the image generator. This is a crucial aspect to consider when evaluating the performance of AI models.

To better understand the situation, I decided to recreate some comparisons using Gemini and ChatGPT with similar prompts. One comparison involved generating an image of a dragon flying overhead, while another focused on creating a realistic scene in a cafe. The results were telling, as ChatGPT consistently produced images that looked more natural and less artificial compared to those generated by Gemini.

The first prompt I used was for an image of a photo taken by someone looking up at the sky with a dragon flying overhead. I wanted the dragon to appear as realistic as possible, like it could be real. The results from ChatGPT showed a convincing image that felt natural and unforced, while the Gemini-generated image had a ‘flat’ quality to it.

I then tried generating an image of a couple in their 50s enjoying coffee together in a cafe. I wanted the scene to look realistic, with traffic passing by through the windows and other people around. The ChatGPT-generated image was less detailed but looked more natural than the Gemini result, which had some artificial-looking elements.

Finally, I generated an image of a full English breakfast, as this is often considered a challenging task for AI models to get right. Both ChatGPT and Gemini produced images with convincing textures, but both struggled with the toast. However, the words on the menu in the Gemini-generated image looked unnatural.

The results from these comparisons suggest that while Nano Banana 2 may not have worsened significantly, it has been overtaken by other models like ChatGPT. OpenAI’s progress in image generation over recent months is undeniable, and it appears that ChatGPT has improved substantially during this time. This could explain why some users perceive a decline in quality from Nano Banana 2.

It’s essential to note that the subjective experience of AI-generated images can vary greatly depending on individual preferences and expectations. However, based on these comparisons, I believe that something else is at play here rather than a genuine deterioration in Nano Banana 2’s performance.