Google takes down AI image generator tied to Google Earth after satellite photo deepfakes

Google has taken down a day-old feature that allowed users of Google Earth to generate AI images, with the rollback coming after people online shared deepfake images of terrorist attacks and other forms of destruction.

The feature had allowed users of Google Earth to build on the available imagery and generate AI images using it, via text prompts. Introduced earlier this week on July 30, it was taken down after a day or so, following reports of people misusing it, as well as customer criticism.

The AI image generation feature was powered by Google’s Nano Banana 2 AI model, which enjoyed viral popularity at the time of its initial launch and sparked multiple AI-image trends.

While Google did not provide examples of the AI-generated content that violated its policies, screenshots on Elon Musk-owned X showed realistic satellite images featuring false terror attacks, industrial accidents, and other forms of violence.

Some Google users expressed concerns that the technology could be used to spread propaganda or false news about the impact of ongoing conflicts and environmental disasters.

“We know that people uniquely trust Google Earth for a reliable view of the world. We’ve seen geospatial professionals using this feature for a range of useful purposes, however we’ve also seen people sharing screenshots of generated imagery that appear to violate our policies. So we’re rolling back this feature in Google Earth while we work on implementing stronger guardrails,” posted Google on X on July 31.

The company stressed that the AI images did not appear as part of the official Google Earth experience for others to see.

Google also noted that its AI images are watermarked.