Google Earth’s New AI Lets Anyone Fabricate Completely Bullshit Satellite Images
404 Media Joseph Cox ● Covered by 6 sources
Google introduced an AI feature in Google Earth that generates synthetic satellite imagery, enabling users to create false images of locations such as drone strikes or nuclear facilities. The feature is currently available to Google Earth users without clear restrictions or verification mechanisms. This capability transforms Google Earth from a reliable open-source intelligence tool into a potential vector for disinformation campaigns.
Why it matters
"Tonight I typed just one sentence into Google Earth and put refugees near the Mexican border. Then I planted a nuclear plant in Iran. Then I put a fatal crash on a street in Amsterdam."
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
- The Verge — Google Earth’s AI deepfake tool only lasted one day
- 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
