Google’s “Nano Banana” has become the internet’s latest obsession, morphing selfies into glossy 3D figurines or Bollywood-style retro portraits. But while the results look fun, experts and officials are already sounding notes of caution. The question many are asking: is it safe to use?
The promise of watermarking
Google says every image generated or edited through Gemini’s Nano Banana carries an invisible SynthID watermark along with metadata tags. These markers are meant to signal that the image is AI-generated. According to Google’s AI Studio, this ensures transparency and builds user trust.
The catch: watermark detection tools aren’t publicly available yet. Security specialists also warn that watermarks can be tampered with, faked, or removed entirely. Ben Colman of Reality Defender told Wired that while watermarking sounds promising, “its real-world applications fail from the onset.” UC Berkeley professor Hany Farid agrees it’s a useful step but not a foolproof safeguard.
Privacy red flags
The bigger concern is what happens to the personal photos users upload. From pets and figurines to the “Banana AI Saree” Instagram trend, people are feeding highly personal content into AI systems. This has triggered fresh warnings from Indian authorities.
Indian Police Service officer VC Sajjanar, in a post on X, cautioned users to be wary of scams linked to viral AI fads. “With just one click, the money in your bank accounts can end up in the hands of criminals,” he warned, adding that fake websites mimicking Gemini pose real risks. Once data is leaked, recovering it is close to impossible.
Safe usage tips
Cybersecurity experts advise a few simple precautions. Avoid uploading sensitive images or anything you wouldn’t want leaked. Strip metadata such as location tags before sharing. Tighten privacy settings on social media and resist the temptation to post every AI-generated portrait online. And most importantly, stick to official apps and platforms—never third-party clones.
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