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Google rolls back AI image tool in Google Earth after backlash
The tool, launched Thursday, used Google image generation to create pictures from Google Earth satellite, aerial and 3D data, but Google said screenshots of generated images appeared to violate its policies.
Google has rolled back a newly unveiled feature in Google Earth that let users generate AI visualisations over satellite imagery, after researchers and open source intelligence experts raised concerns about potential disinformation, according to the South China Morning Post citing an AFP report.
In a statement, a Google spokesman said the company had seen geospatial professionals use the feature for useful purposes, but also saw people sharing screenshots of generated imagery that appeared to violate its policies. Google added that people uniquely trust Google Earth for a reliable view of the world.
The feature, called “create image,” integrated Google’s Nano Banana 2 image generation technology into Google Earth and allowed users to zoom into locations and build pictures in seconds using Google’s satellite, aerial and 3D mapping data.
Google had previously described the tool as a way to visualise history and create real estate plans, and the company’s spokesman pointed to policy violations tied to how the generated images were being shared.