Google has suspended a new experimental Google Earth feature just a day after its launch, after users began using the technology to create fake images with sensitive content and the potential for misinformation.
The new feature, supported by the Nano Banana 2 artificial intelligence model, was introduced on July 30 and allowed users to modify real satellite images through text commands.
Through it, users could select an area on the map and add various elements, from buildings and parks, to historical scenes or fictional objects.
But the technology was soon used for problematic purposes. Users created fake images depicting terrorist attacks, military bases, refugee camps, and the aftermath of fictional events, giving the images a realistic look by using existing map coordinates and elements.
Among the examples shared online were a fake nuclear facility in Iran, a military cemetery created in Red Square in Moscow, and a staged scene that mimicked the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US.
Google clarified that these changes did not affect official Google Earth maps and images, but the risk of such materials being stored and distributed as real images with accurate coordinates caused the company to intervene immediately.
On July 31, Google announced that the feature has been temporarily suspended and will only be restored after more advanced security measures are implemented to prevent the creation and spread of deceptive content produced by artificial intelligence.
