Google suspends AI-generated satellite image feature amid misinformation concerns
Google has halted a new AI tool that created satellite images on Google Earth after reports that the feature could be used to produce misleading visuals, and it is working on additional safeguards.
Google announced on X that it is disabling the AI-generated satellite image function in Google Earth while it develops stronger safeguards. The company said the feature had been used by geospatial professionals for legitimate purposes, but that some users had shared screenshots that appeared to violate its policies.
The tool, unveiled a day earlier, allowed users to zoom to a location, select “create image,” and type a description to generate a synthetic view. Open-source researcher Henk van Ess demonstrated that the system could produce images of a fire on Iran’s Kharg Island and a flooded U.S. Capitol complex—events that have not occurred.
Visual-forensics experts expressed concern that the ease of creating such images could accelerate the spread of disinformation. Jake Godin of Bellingcat noted that while satellite imagery has traditionally been a reliable verification source, AI-generated fakes could undermine that trust and make corrections more difficult.
Google said all AI-generated images carry a SynthID watermark to flag them in other Google tools, and that it blocks creation of images on harmful topics. However, members of the open-source community remain skeptical, warning that the tool could be used to fabricate content within a platform widely relied upon for fact-checking.