Google has shut down a Google Earth feature that allowed users to edit satellite images with AI text prompts, according to The Verge. The feature had launched Thursday and, per the report’s headline, lasted only one day.
The tool effectively let users generate altered versions of real-world satellite imagery. The Verge described it as enabling “AI deepfakes of the real world” through text prompts, a use case that immediately highlighted risks around fabricated geographic evidence.
One example cited in the report came from Digital Digging’s Henk van Ess, who intentionally generated images adding elements such as refugees near the Mexican border. The rapid shutdown underscores the sensitivity of putting generative AI tools inside platforms associated with maps and real-world imagery.