Just one day after launching an artificial intelligence tool that allowed users to create fictional aerial images, Google Earth rolled back the feature, citing concerns about misinformation.
On Thursday, Google Earth launched the feature, called Nano Banana 2, which allowed people to “type whatever you want to see” into the platform, creating fake satellite images of Earth, the New York Times reported.
People began easily generating very realistic nuclear power plants, refugee camps along any border, burned forests, flooded cities and even a fatal car crash, according to the Times.
On Nano Banana 2, users could use text prompts to generate false scenarios on top of a base layer of real satellite, aerial or 3D imagery — which could then be downloaded and shared on other platforms, the BBC reported.
A collapsed Eiffel Tower and a sinkhole swallowing the Great Pyramid of Giza were two examples seen by the BBC.
Google had wanted the tool to serve people’s curiosities and imaginations, by visualizing what an empty lot could look like, seeing what their neighborhood looked like 100 years ago or 100 years into the future, give locations a “makeover” and see renderings of ancient cities like Pompeii, according to the company’s original announcement about the AI tool.
When Google rolled back the toolFriday, the company said it will install safeguards on the AI tool before users can create with it again.
“We’ve seen geospatial professionals using this feature for a range of useful purposes,” Google said in a statement. “However, we’ve also seen people sharing screenshots of generated imagery that appear to violate our policies.
“It’s important to note that generated images didn’t appear in the main Google Earth experience for others to see and were watermarked as A.I. generated. We know that people uniquely trust Google Earth for a reliable view of the world.”
