I finally got round to trying out ‘Nano Banana’, the Google AI Studio image editor. It’s incredible that the ‘naming of AI things’ is as sensible as the naming of cables for Apple products and conducted by a team of 7 year olds. Anyway, long story short, this is pretty remarkable and pretty depressing all in one go.

Here are my first two edits. Each has two iterations. Prompts are followed by the new version in each case.

Unaltered image 1 (Woolwich Ferry, London, taken by me)

Insert a star trek like space ship realistically in the sky

it’s a bit too big, make it smaller, more distant

Boldly going 400 yards. Unless there’s a light breeze.

Unaltered image 2

I look bald in this. I need to be wearing a hat suitable for a spy

My daughter behind me needs to be my arch nemesis. make her stealthy and holding a water pistol

It looks nothing like my daughter and it’s amazing the AI found a hat that actually fits.

The little AI symbol in the corner is sure to fox anyone using such tools for nefariousness.