tech
Google Just Ruined One of Its Most Important Tools
Google Earth was a boon for researchers—and then came the deepfakes.
TL;DR
- Google integrated its AI image generator, Nano Banana, into Google Earth.
- The feature allowed users to create fake images of real-world locations, such as office buildings on fire or mass destruction.
- Fake images of events like a homeless encampment on the White House lawn and protesters outside Mar-a-Lago were easily generated.
- Google initially stated that images included a SynthID watermark and directed users to verify suspicious images.
- The company has now announced it is rolling back the feature in Google Earth to implement stronger guardrails.
- Google Earth was previously a valuable tool for researchers and journalists studying armed conflict and natural disasters.
- Concerns were raised that the tool could be used to create realistic images of events in conflict zones.
- Google's previous AI features, including a shopping tool and Gemini image generation, have also faced criticism for lacking safeguards and generating problematic content.