Google Earth’s AI deepfake tool only lasted one day
The Verge Jay Peters ● Covered by 6 sources
Google shut down an AI image-editing feature in Google Earth after just one day, which allowed users to generate deepfake satellite imagery by typing text prompts. The tool, powered by Nano Banana 2, was disabled after users demonstrated it could create false images of sensitive locations including fictional refugee camps and bombed hospitals. Google's brief experiment shows the challenge of deploying generative AI tools that can easily produce misleading geospatial content.
Why it matters
Google has shut down Google Earth feature it launched Thursday that allowed users to edit satellite images with text prompts using AI. The tool essentially let users create AI deepfakes of the real world using text prompts; Digital Digging's Henk van Ess, for example, intentionally generated images adding things like refugees near the Mexican border […]
Also covered by
- Ars Technica — Google Earth risked ruin with retracted AI tool for making fake satellite pics
- TechCrunch AI — Google nixes its Earth AI feature one day after launch, amid criticism it would spread misinformation
- 404 Media — Google Earth’s New AI Lets Anyone Fabricate Completely Bullshit Satellite Images
- The Verge — Here’s the problem with putting an AI image generator in Google Earth
- Ars Technica — Google's SynthID watermark is hard to break, but it doesn't solve AI misinformation
