Google has rolled back the Nano Banana 2 image-generation feature added to the web version of Google Earth only one day after its introduction. According to an update added to the company’s official announcement on July 31, the capability was paused after users shared screenshots of generated images that appeared to violate Google’s policies. The company said it would work on stronger safeguards before making the tool available again.
The feature generated scenes from Google Earth imagery
Google introduced the capability in a product blog post on July 30. Users could navigate to a location shown through Google Earth’s satellite, aerial and three-dimensional imagery, then enter a text prompt to create a new image. The system combined the Nano Banana 2 model with visual information tied to real-world locations. Google presented possible uses including visualizing historical places, creating educational infographics and showing concepts for real estate or urban-planning projects.
The original demonstration instructed users to zoom in on a place in Google Earth on the web, select the image-creation option and describe what they wanted to see. The resulting output did not replace the underlying satellite record. It was produced as an AI-generated visualization grounded in the geographic imagery already displayed. Google repeated that separation when it later explained the rollback.
How Google described the rollback
Google said it had seen geospatial professionals use the feature for useful purposes. The company also said screenshots of generated imagery that appeared to violate its policies had been shared online. It responded by rolling back the capability while stronger guardrails are developed. Google did not identify the specific categories of content involved. Reuters and The Verge reported that the decision came roughly a day after the public launch.
The company said generated images were not added to the main Google Earth experience for other users to view. Outputs were also marked as AI-generated. Google nevertheless decided that additional protections were needed and disabled the creation capability while those measures are prepared. The July 31 update did not provide a date for restoring access.
Questions about trust in map imagery
Google’s statement noted that people place particular trust in Google Earth as a reliable view of the world. Reuters reported that the ability to produce realistic-looking scenarios over imagery of real locations attracted criticism about misinformation. The Verge likewise noted that generated pictures could be shared as screenshots on other platforms even though they were not inserted into the public map and carried AI markings.
The official update does not describe the move as a permanent cancellation. Google characterized it as a rollback while stronger safeguards are implemented. The current position is therefore that Nano Banana 2 image generation inside Google Earth is temporarily unavailable. Google also said the main viewing experience remained separate from the generated outputs, preserving a distinction between geographic imagery and user-created AI visualizations.
Stronger safeguards are the next step
Google’s stated next step is to improve protections before the feature returns. The company acknowledged useful work by geospatial professionals but cited apparently policy-violating shared images as the reason for acting. Users cannot currently create new location-based images with Nano Banana 2 inside Google Earth. Further information is still needed on the timetable for a possible return and on the limits that would apply when the capability is restored.
