Google pulls Google Earth AI image tool a day after launch
Why it matters: Researchers warned the feature could fabricate realistic satellite scenes and undermine a key tool for verifying wars, disasters and breaking news.
Google rolled back a new Google Earth feature on July 31, just a day after introducing a tool that let users generate AI-made satellite-style images for any location. The company said it removed the feature after screenshots circulated online that appeared to breach its policies, and that it is working on stronger guardrails.
The tool, labeled “create image,” used Google’s Nano Banana 2 image generator to build visuals from the platform’s mapping and 3D data. Researchers and open-source investigators said it could be abused to create convincing false scenes, including fires at Iran’s Kharg Island, explosions in Paris or floodwaters at the U.S. Capitol. Critics said that risk could weaken trust in satellite imagery used to check claims from conflict zones and other hard-to-reach places.