Google Suspends AI Tool in Google Earth After Users Create Fake Satellite Images

Less than 48 hours after launching a new AI-powered image creation tool in Google Earth, Google has suspended the feature due to concerns over misuse and the spread of misinformation. The tool allowed users to generate fictional scenarios overlaid on real satellite, aerial, and 3D model imagery using text prompts. Among the manipulated images created were fake depictions of a nuclear facility in Iran and an airstrike on a hospital in Gaza.

Google announced the suspension on August 2, 2026, explaining that while the AI-generated images did not appear on Google Earth’s main platform, users shared screenshots that violated company policies. The company acknowledged that despite built-in safeguards intended to block harmful content, some users found ways to bypass these restrictions by altering prompt wording.

Dutch intelligence researcher Henk van Ess warned immediately after the tool’s release about the potential for malicious actors to exploit it, noting that AI-generated images inherit the credibility of the underlying geographic data, making it difficult for journalists and fact-checkers to distinguish real from fake imagery. BBC’s fact-checking team also demonstrated the tool’s vulnerabilities by creating fabricated images such as a collapsed Eiffel Tower and a giant sinkhole under the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Google stated that AI-generated content includes invisible watermarks to indicate manipulation and recommended users verify suspicious images using tools like Gemini or Google Lens. However, BBC Verify found that these detection methods are not foolproof, with some fake images passing as authentic. Google said it is pausing the feature while developing stronger protective measures and emphasized that professionals have used the tool for legitimate purposes.

This incident highlights the challenges of integrating advanced AI tools into platforms where users expect reliable and trustworthy information, especially in geospatial contexts. Google has invested heavily in AI across its products, including Search, Workspace, Maps, and Google Earth, but this case underscores the risks of AI misuse in sensitive applications.