- Google removed an AI image-generation feature from Google Earth on July 31, just one day after its July 30 launch, citing policy-violating user content.
- Journalists and open-source researchers quickly demonstrated the tool could fabricate convincing fake satellite imagery of non-existent events, such as a blast crater in Los Angeles and a flooded U.S. Capitol.
- Google’s defense that images carry a SynthID watermark failed to reassure critics, and the company stated it would only restore the feature after adding stronger guardrails, without providing a timeline.
Google abruptly pulled an AI image-generation tool from Google Earth on July 31, just a day after its launch, following a swift backlash from journalists and open-source investigators who warned it could supercharge misinformation. The company introduced the “Nano Banana” model on July 30, allowing users to zoom to any location and generate a scene from a text prompt.
Critics quickly demonstrated the tool’s potential for abuse. Tech outlet 404 Media showed it could produce a blast crater in Los Angeles, while NPR generated images of Iran’s Kharg Island ablaze and a flooded U.S. Capitol. Open-source researcher Henk van Ess reported that prompts for refugees at the Mexican border and a nuclear plant in Iran were not refused.
In a statement posted to X, Google acknowledged that people “uniquely trust Google Earth for a reliable view of the world.” The company noted that while geospatial professionals found useful applications, others were sharing generated images that appeared to violate its policies.
Google had initially downplayed concerns, noting every image carries its SynthID watermark, which flags it as AI-generated. Critics called that insufficient, arguing few people verify images before sharing them. Consequently, Google said it would reinstate the feature only after implementing tighter protections, offering no timeline for its return.
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