Google Earth’s AI deepfake tool only lasted one day

Aug 01, 2026 02:13 AM - 3 hours ago 5

Google has unopen down Google Earth characteristic it launched Thursday that allowed users to edit outer images pinch matter prompts utilizing AI. The instrumentality fundamentally fto users create AI deepfakes of the existent world utilizing matter prompts; Digital Digging’s Henk van Ess, for example, intentionally generated images adding things for illustration refugees adjacent the Mexican separator and a explosive crater by a infirmary successful Gaza. On Thursday, Google’s initial response to van Ess noted that images generated pinch Nano Banana 2 successful Google Earth included a integer watermark and that the institution prevented “image creation connected harmful topics.”

One time later, Google’s new statement says that “We cognize that group uniquely spot Google Earth for a reliable position of the world. We’ve seen geospatial professionals utilizing this characteristic for a scope of useful purposes, nevertheless we’ve besides seen group sharing screenshots of generated imagery that look to break our policies. So we’re rolling backmost this characteristic successful Google Earth while we activity connected implementing stronger guardrails. It’s important to statement that generated images didn’t look successful the main Google Earth acquisition for others to spot and were watermarked arsenic AI generated.”

van Ess pointed retired that he was capable to fool Hive’s AI discovery instrumentality pinch a video generated successful Google Earth, showing really the generated media could dispersed contempt the watermarks, and said successful his testing, “Nothing was refused, thing was softened, and thing suggested I effort a different prompt.”

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