Google Earth AI came under scrutiny on Friday after Google rolled back a newly launched feature that allowed users to generate AI-created visualisations using Google Earth imagery. US-Iran Talks Pakistan stocks soar more than 2,100 points as investor confidence returns The company suspended the feature following strong criticism from researchers, open-source intelligence experts and misinformation analysts, who warned it could enable the creation of convincing fake satellite images. In a statement, Google said it had seen professionals use the tool for legitimate purposes. However, it also found users sharing AI-generated images that appeared to violate company policies. Google said it removed the feature while it develops stronger safeguards. The company added that people rely on Google Earth as a trusted source of geographic information and that maintaining this trust remains a priority. The “Create Image” tool, introduced on Thursday, combined Google’s Nano Banana 2 image-generation technology with Google Earth’s satellite, aerial and 3D mapping data. The company promoted the feature as a way to visualise historical events, real estate projects and other concepts. Experts Warned of Fake Satellite Images Researchers quickly raised concerns that the tool could produce highly realistic but fabricated satellite imagery. Digital investigations expert Henk Van Ess said Google had spent decades building trust in Google Earth, but the new feature risked weakening that credibility. Brady Africk, a satellite imagery analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, warned that the technology could make it easier to spread fake geospatial images online. He said such content could mislead the public and complicate the work of journalists and investigators. Tests Highlighted Potential Risks During testing, AFP generated fabricated satellite-style images showing fictional explosions, military facilities and disaster scenes. The tool also created fake images depicting floods, migrant camps and other sensitive scenarios that could have contributed to misinformation if widely shared. Google noted that AI-generated images carried invisible SynthID digital watermarks and said its policies prohibit misleading or deceptive content. Google Reconsiders the Rollout As criticism intensified, Google removed the “Create Image” option from Google Earth. The Centre for Information Resilience and the volunteer verification group GeoConfirmed welcomed the decision. Both organisations warned that realistic AI-generated satellite imagery could damage public trust and complicate efforts to verify events during conflicts and global crises. Google said it will continue improving safeguards before considering any future release of the feature. Post navigation Anthropic reveals Claude AI models breached company systems during cybersecurity tests
