Google pulled its AI image-editing feature from Google Earth within 24 hours of its launch, after users created deepfakes depicting disasters.

Journalists, human rights advocates and open source analysts recoiled in horror at the initial decision: "The opportunities for abuse and disinfo are literally boundless," said one.

Google Earth now uses Gemini's Nano Banana 2 to generate images and visual explainers from real-world locations on the web.

Google put on hold an AI feature in Google Earth just hours after it was introduced. People used it to create AI-manipulated aerial views of horrific scenes.

Google is bringing its Nano Banana 2 image generation model to Google Earth, allowing you to generate AI images using the satellite, aerial, and 3D imagery in the web app. Some examples shared by Google show how you can give a building a makeover,