Google discontinued its Earth AI feature a day after its rollout after users made no-no images
Google suspended its new 'Nano Banana' generative AI feature in Google Earth less than 24 hours after launch due to user abuse. The tool, intended for historical and planning visualizations, was exploited to create disinformation and taboo imagery.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the ongoing challenges tech companies face in balancing generative AI capabilities with safety and content moderation.
Google spent years trying to weave generative AI into its product line up, from Gemini in our Google Docs to AI overview in our search engines, and now Nano Banana 2 in Google Earth. But it turns out combining real places with generative AI was a disaster after users generated some taboo imagery, forcing Google to pull the rollout less than a day after it launched.
“We know that people uniquely trust Google Earth for a reliable view of the world,” a Google spokesperson told Fortune . “It’s important to note that generated images didn’t appear in the main Google Earth experience for others… and were watermarked as AI generated.”
The spokesperson’s comments come after it quickly became apparent users began abusing the system to create false images meant for disinformation. Some generated images of a nuclear plant in Iran, or refugees near the Mexico-US border.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in