Google launched a feature on Thursday that integrated its Nano Banana 2 AI image generator into Google Earth, allowing users to superimpose fabricated images onto real satellite maps.

The company positioned it as a creative tool for geography, but critics, including journalists, warned it could be used to spread misinformation by creating fake but credible-looking geospatial images.

Within a day, Google rolled back the feature, stating that while geospatial professionals found useful applications, users were sharing generated imagery that appeared to violate policies.

The company said it would work on stronger guardrails before reintroducing the feature.

The incident underscores how easily AI image generators can be abused for disinformation, even when embedded in tools like Google Earth that researchers and journalists rely on as visual evidence sources.