Google Earth Quickly Retracts AI Feature That Allowed Users to Create Fake Satellite Images

Google briefly allowed users to generate AI-modified satellite imagery within Google Earth using its Nano Banana 2 image generator, then quickly reversed the feature after examples surfaced showing its potential for misinformation. The company had promoted the tool as a first-of-its-kind way to create custom images grounded in real-world Earth data. Product manager Bryan Horowitz announced the feature in a July 30 blog post, but it was pulled after users demonstrated how easily it could produce misleading depictions of real locations.