Google yanks Nano Banana from Earth after AI images spark chaos

It took less than a day for Google's newest AI experiment to become a lesson in how fast image-based misinformation can spread.

It took less than a day for Google’s newest AI experiment to become a lesson in how fast image-based misinformation can spread.

On Thursday, Google rolled out its Nano Banana 2 model directly inside Google Earth. The feature allowed users to type any prompt and get back a photorealistic image, layered right onto real satellite, aerial, and 3D map data. The intended uses were fairly harmless. People could visualize their dream home or picture how a location might change decades from now.

Within just a few hours, users pushed the tool in a very different direction. People began generating fake disasters, staged terrorist attacks, and fabricated sinkholes. Others created images showing refugees or protest crowds in places where nothing of the sort had actually happened.

One researcher used the tool to create a fake blast crater in Los Angeles. Another generated an image showing protesters marching right outside Google’s California headquarters. Since the tool used real Google Earth maps as its foundation, these fabricated images looked disturbingly convincing.

At first, Google defended the feature. The company pointed to its SynthID watermarking system as a safeguard. It also noted that tools like Gemini or Google Lens could help users check whether an image had been AI-generated.

That response did not satisfy critics. Many pointed out that most people encountering a screenshot online rarely take the time to verify it. Critics also argued that the fake images did not even need to stay inside Google Earth to cause harm. Screenshots alone were already spreading fast across social media platforms.

By Friday, Google confirmed it was pulling the feature entirely while working on stronger safeguards. The company maintained that every generated image had carried a watermark. It also said none of the images had appeared within the shared, public version of the Earth experience.

This incident has reignited larger concerns around generative AI tools and how easily they can be misused, even when protective measures are already built in. It also raises fresh questions about whether watermarking alone is enough to stop confusion once fabricated content starts spreading widely online.

For now, Google says its focus is on rebuilding the feature with tighter controls in place. Whether that will be enough to prevent similar situations going forward still remains to be seen.