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What Is Seedream 4.0 and Is Tiktok Owner’s AI Image Model Better than Google’s Nano Banana?

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Abhijay Singh RawatBy
ByteDance unveils new AI image model Seedream 4.0 to rival Google DeepMind’s ‘Nano Banana’

Key Highlights –

  • ByteDance’s Seedream 4.0 outperforms Google’s Nano Banana in internal benchmarks.
  • Seedream 4.0 supports 4K resolution and batch processing for enhanced productivity.
  • Users can access Seedream 4.0 via ByteDance’s Volcano Engine and partner platforms.

Chinese tech giant ByteDance has stepped into the ring to directly challenge Google DeepMind in the AI image generation space. The company, known for its short-video platform TikTok, has launched Seedream 4.0, an ambitious new model that it claims surpasses Google’s viral Nano Banana in critical performance areas.

What Makes Seedream 4.0 Stand Out

According to ByteDance, Seedream 4.0 has demonstrated upto 10 times improved performance over its predecessor, Seedream 3.0, especially when it comes to generating high-definition images at up to 4K resolution. The model excels in areas such as prompt adherence, alignment, and aesthetics, as evidenced by its top rankings in internal benchmarks like MagicBench and MagicArena. These benchmarks assess various dimensions, including text-to-image tasks and single-image editing, where Seedream 4.0 has shown a good balance between accuracy and visual appeal.

Seedream 4.0 comparison with other models across core dimensions

This launch is a direct response to the claims already made by Google’s Nano Banana, which has been lauded for its image-editing tasks. And while Nano Banana had become the go-to tool for users looking to edit photos using AI the arrival of Seedream 4.0, has made the top position far more competitive.

A key feature of Seedream 4.0 is its remarkable speed. ByteDance has stated that the model’s new architecture allows for inference speeds up to 10 times faster than its predecessor, delivering high-resolution images in seconds. It also introduces the ability to handle multi-reference inputs, allowing users to upload up to six images to ensure a consistent visual identity across generated outputs. This feature is particularly valuable for creators and businesses that require character and style consistency across a series of images.

Even though ByteDance’s internal tests favor its new model, it was backed by another independent AI benchmark firm Artificial Analysis.

Reddit discussions however, are divided with users noting that while Seedream 4.0 has “aesthetic wins” and produces visually pleasing, high-quality images, Nano Banana is “on another level for consistency,” especially in editing scenarios where it can maintain a person’s exact likeness.

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Apart from the technical performance, pricing is another important factor in the competiton. The introduction of Seedream 4.0 at a cost of approximately $0.03 per image on platforms like Fal.ai, slightly undercutting Nano Banana’s price of $0.039, indicates a willingness to compete on value. This pricing strategy could attract high-volume users and developers seeking a cost-effective alternative. However, which model of the two will be preferred more with the users, only time will tell.

Abhijay Singh Rawat
Abhijay is the News Editor at TimesofAI, who loves to follow up on the latest tech and AI trends. After office hours, you would find him either grinding competitive ranked games, or trek up his way in the hills of Uttarakhand.
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