Google Earth closes AI feature just one day after presentation

Google completely shut down a newly added feature in its Google Earth mapping app just one day after its release, which allowed users to generate fake images using artificial intelligence. This novelty caused sharp criticism among internet journalists and users, highlighting that it could create a basis for the spread of fake news and disinformation, reports Techcrunch.com reports .

According to ixbt.com, the feature launched on Thursday allowed users to embed various fictional images into satellite imagery within Google Earth using an AI generator called Nano Banana 2. In an official statement, the company claimed this capability was created to approach geography creatively.

However, experts and media representatives immediately noticed the risks posed by this tool. In particular, a BBC journalist sarcastically evaluated the novelty, emphasizing that Google Earth is one of the most reliable visual evidence sources in the world, and such a tool would inevitably be abused to spread false information.

Criticism and Security Issues

In fact, this feature allowed overlaying images generated from any text prompt onto real maps. This was expected to lead to an influx of geospatial fake content on the network. Critics strongly condemned the presence of such open capabilities on fundamental platforms like Google Earth as misleading to the public.

Following such sharp objections, the company made a swift decision to temporarily suspend the controversial feature. Google representatives noted that while some geospatial experts used the tool for useful purposes, screenshots of fake images violating company policy were found circulating.

Currently, Google announced that it has removed the feature from Google Earth and is working on strengthening security measures. The company is expected to continue improving the system only after establishing safe barriers.

According to experts, in the era of artificial intelligence, most images on the internet can be modified with extreme ease. Nowadays, creating disinformation does not require professional Photoshop skills, as any AI image generator suffices, remaining one of the most serious challenges facing tech giants.