Google Earth pulls back new AI tool after users use it…

In August 2024, Google suspended its newly released Nano Banana AI tool for Google Earth after reports emerged that users were exploiting the technology to generate deceptive deepfake imagery. The tool, which was intended to assist with historical visualization and real estate planning, was pulled following concerns regarding its potential for creating sophisticated disinformation.

What happened

Released on July 30, the Nano Banana feature allowed users to generate custom images using Google Earth's satellite, aerial, and 3D data. The intent was to ground conceptual imagery in real-world locations; however, the feature became a vector for creating false topographical data. AI and misinformation expert Henk van Ess demonstrated the risks by generating images of non-existent structures, including a nuclear power plant in Iran, a refugee camp on the U.S.-Mexico border, and a hospital in Gaza featuring a fabricated bomb crater.

Van Ess noted that the tool allowed users to weld invented images onto genuine coordinates, effectively drawing false information directly onto official imagery. Although the generated images were watermarked and did not appear in the main Google Earth experience, Google acknowledged that external alterations could allow these deepfakes to be weaponized for misinformation. In a statement issued on August 1, the company confirmed it was rolling back the feature to implement stronger guardrails, citing the need to maintain the public's trust in the reliability of Google Earth's view of the world.