Google Earth's AI-Generated Image Feature Sparks Concern Over Misinformation

A recent feature in Google Earth allowed users to create AI-modified versions of satellite imagery, raising alarms among researchers who rely on the tool for verifying images and videos. The feature, which used Google’s Nano Banana 2 image generator, was available for a brief period before being quickly retracted.

The ability to generate custom images using Google Earth’s satellite, aerial, and 3D imagery alongside AI tools has long been possible with various generative AI software. However, the integration of Nano Banana 2 into Google Earth made it even easier for users to create modified versions of authentic imagery depicting real locations.

‘For the first time, you can generate custom images using Google Earth’s satellite, aerial, and 3D imagery alongside Nano Banana,’ wrote Bryan Horowitz, product manager for Google Earth. This statement was part of a company blog post on July 30 that initially promoted the new feature.

Researchers were quick to point out the potential risks associated with this feature. Eliot Higgins, founder of Bellingcat, an independent investigative organization, expressed his concerns in a Bluesky post responding to the AI feature’s debut: ‘Google Earth has added a feature that allows you to alter satellite imagery with AI.’

Higgins’ sarcastic follow-up post featured an AI-modified image made in Google Earth showing a giant golden statue of President Donald Trump looming over the White House. This example illustrated how easily users could create false scenarios overlaid on photorealistic imagery.

Within a day, Google announced that it was rolling back the feature and making it inaccessible to Google Earth users. The decision came after researchers demonstrated the potential for abuse and misuse of this technology.