Google launched an AI-powered tool called Nano Banana inside Google Earth on July 30, 2026, allowing users to overlay AI-generated images on real satellite and aerial imagery using simple text prompts. The tool was removed the very next day, on July 31, 2026, after critics raised concerns about the potential for creating fake imagery depicting drone strikes, altered national borders, or fabricated military installations on recognizable real-world geography. The generated images were nevertheless watermarked and sandboxed, visible only to their creator. Google cited reputational risk as too high relative to the engagement upside for keeping the feature online.
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