Google Earth’s AI deepfake tool only lasted one day
The Verge·July 31, 2026
Google has shut down a Google Earth feature that allowed users to edit satellite images with text prompts using AI, just one day after its launch. The tool enabled users to create AI deepfakes of the real world, raising concerns about potential misuse. Despite initial measures such as digital watermarks and restrictions on harmful topics, Google decided to discontinue the feature. The decision was made after a user demonstrated the tool's potential for generating disturbing and misleading images, including fake scenes of refugees and bomb craters.
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