Google pulling Nano Banana from Google Earth after one day shows how bad our AI misinformation problem has got

Date:
Sun, 02 Aug 2026 09:30:00 +0000

Description:
Google rolled out its AI image editing trickery to Google Earth on the web, but it didn't take long before it was misused.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter We're now well past the point where it's very difficult, and in some cases impossible, to tell AI-generated photos and videos from the real thing. That means it's now important to treat everything you see online from untrusted sources with a big dose of skepticism.

A newly rolled out Google Earth feature has apparently made AI-generated misinformation even more of a problem and it highlights the scary potential of the technology, as well as the need for stronger guardrails to block the efforts of those who will instantly try and find the most subversive and harmful ways to use a new product. The feature is AI image generation in Google Earth, powered by the Nano Banana 2 model, and after a wave of inappropriate images were created and posted online, it's now been pulled while Google works on some more robust protections against misinformation. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Google Earth's new
feature Reimagining Pompeii was one way the feature could be used (Image credit: Google) It all started with the usual level of hype that Google
builds around any new AI feature: the Nano Banana 2 image generation model that has already wowed us in the Gemini app would be available inside Google Earth on the web.

"Generate custom images to help you visualize history, create real estate plans, and more," Google said . "For the first time, you can generate custom images using Google Earth's satellite, aerial, and 3D imagery alongside Nano Banana, which creates concepts grounded in the real world." You may like With SynthID, Google is cleaning up the AI mess it helped make, but Omni power makes it clear we'll never get ahead of generative AI fiction Google Gemini's Verify AI might finally solve my online image trust issues Google's speedy
new AI image model changes everything

Google had examples of how it could be used too: create an infographic about the Statue of Liberty, visualize your dream home by the lake, see what your neighborhood might look like a hundred years from now, or imagine Pompeii
just before it got buried by ash and rock from an erupting Mount Vesuvius.

All it took was a text prompt, and Google Earth would combine existing satellite and 3D data to create the AI image you were asking for. While the
AI model wasn't new , adding it to the accurate and authentic imagery already in Google Earth was. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
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us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. What went wrong Infographics could be created with
real-world information (Image credit: Google) Perhaps we should've seen this coming and indeed some people did but combining AI with the 3D data and satellite imagery of Google Earth didn't work out quite as well as Google hoped. The new upgrade was quickly used to create all manner of deceptive images that were then widely shared online.

I'm reluctant to point you to them directly and give these fakes any more attention, but they're not hard to find on social media. Think natural disasters, terrorism attacks, giant sinkholes, alien activity, and refugee populations all in places where they never actually were, thanks to AI.

Some of the images are clearly jokes, but many were produced deliberately to spread misinformation and confusion. That they were based on actual images sourced from Google Earth added extra credibility they wouldn't otherwise
have had. And that was enough for Google to remove the feature. What to read next "Google Search is now AI Search" equals the worst thing to happen to the internet since social media, except this time we can all see it coming
Googles AI will now show a preview of perspectives from Reddit and social media AI is everywhere here's how to spot AI-generated images, videos and scams in 2026

Google says a flood of images "that appear to violate our policies" mean
that "we're rolling back this feature in Google Earth while we work on implementing stronger guardrails". The company added:."It's important to note that generated images didn't appear in the main Google Earth experience for others to see and were watermarked as AI generated." Our AI-filled future Google Earth-based visions of the future will have to wait (Image credit: Google) You don't have to look for long online to find rather strong anti-AI sentiment building up among users, especially when it comes to image and
video content. The general sentiment on Reddit is that there's "zero use" to
a feature like this, and that users are fed up with AI being "shoved down our throats" .

There are various obvious lessons to be learned here: firstly not everything needs to have an AI prompt box or an AI element to it, and if some tools are largely AI-free, that's fine. Microsoft recently rolled back some of the AI
it added to Notepad an app where a big part of the appeal is its simplicity after user complaints.

Secondly, before companies release any new AI features, they need to consider the worst-case scenarios in terms of how they're going to be used. The internet as a collective is going to immediately try and stress test them in the most deceptive and unwholesome ways, and there need to be safety measures put in place around that.

Lastly, it's never been more important to stick to sources of information
that you know you can trust: not random social media accounts, but
established publications that have policies around AI and its use. That's one effective way you can tell the difference between what's trustworthy and what isn't. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/google-pulling-nano-banana-f rom-google-earth-after-one-day-shows-how-bad-our-ai-misinformation-problem-has -got


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