Google Pulls Earth AI Feature a Day After Launch

Google halted an AI image-generation feature in Google Earth less than a day after its launch following concerns that users could exploit it to create convincing but fabricated images of real-world locations. 

Google temporarily rolled back its Nano Banana 2 image-generation feature in Google Earth after concerns over fabricated satellite imagery. [Photo: Google]

The feature, powered by Google's Nano Banana 2 model, allowed users to overlay AI-generated scenes onto satellite, aerial and 3D imagery. Google had envisioned legitimate applications such as visualizing planning concepts and reconstructing historical scenes.

However, users quickly generated fabricated disasters, military installations and conflict scenes at real-world locations, raising concerns about the potential for misinformation.

Google said it was rolling back the feature while it worked on stronger safeguards.

The company also emphasized that AI-generated images did not become part of the main Google Earth experience for other users and were marked with AI-generated imagery indicators. 

The episode highlights the challenge technology companies face in deploying generative AI tools that can manipulate imagery associated with trusted sources of geographic information.