4 ms·

Google Earth's New AI Lets Anyone Fabricate Satellite Images

42 points by donohoe 2mo ago

hellscapesite 2mo ago
Who the fuck thought this would be a good feature? What the fuck is wrong with this industry.
- InsideOutSanta 2mo ago
  This is actually insane. I'm usually indifferent toward AI integrations, I've learned to ignore them like I ignore most ads, but what the hell? The people who came up with this must be absolutely divorced from reality.
- jbxntuehineoh 2mo ago
  Haven't you heard? If you can, you should. You'd be an idiot not to. And hey, even if you don't, the next guy will. So you may as well.
- MarkusQ 2mo ago
  Reasonably clear explanation here: https://ludic.mataroa.blog/blog/ai-mania-is-eviscerating-global-decision-making/ https://ludic.mataroa.blog/blog/ai-mania-is-eviscerating-glo... Short quote to capture the main point: "I have evidently fallen into the pocket of Hell where the demons torment me by doing elaborate impressions of absolute fucking morons."
Cider9986 2mo ago
Seems to be completely uncensored. Crazy they shipped this.
centuryfall 2mo ago
It’s like it was specifically built for Fox News… But for real, this is bad. Like, really, really bad. And I understand this could have been done before by just screenshotting an image from Google Maps and feeding into an AI image processor, but now, that whole process is streamlined and immediately available, and Google’s messaging is that we can just fact check it ourselves with another AI tool. Well, that’s only possible with the original, non-altered image. Someone takes a screenshot and puts this up on a news broadcast or Twitter post, and then, how is anyone going to determine what is real or fake anymore?
- willtemperley 2mo ago
  > how is anyone going to determine what is real or fake anymore Through using AI to build tools that generate results with a verified chain of provenance.
  - lwansbrough 2mo ago
    This is satire right?
    - Crespyl 2mo ago
      > "No, these are ground-truth pixels" - Disclosure Day (2026)
    - willtemperley 2mo ago
      No. What isn't reasonable about this approach? I think most people have got GeoAI backwards, creating derived imagery via AI is a terrible idea. Building better tools than we have with AI, using existing geoscience principles is absolutely the right approach.
- copper-float 2mo ago
  All media conglomerates will have a field day with this. CNN, MSNBC, and Fox have all been caught doing exactly these kinds of things. Don't act like the left has never lied or manipulated their stories, they're all equally terrible and soulless.
  - margalabargala 2mo ago
    Yes, CNN has done it 13 times, MSNBC 27, and FOX well over 12,000 and counting. You can say "these are all the same" but if you can't see why people single out FOX that says a lot about your credibility.
echoangle 2mo ago
What’s the actual use case for this that’s not malicious? When would someone want to generate a fake satellite image of a selectable area? Is it for architects that want to visualize projects?
afavour 2mo ago
Google’s inane push to shove AI into every product is going to cause real harm here. I can’t even fathom what the legitimate use case for this would be.
kittikitti 2mo ago
I've been sent a cease and desist letter from the European Union for researching their satellite imagery with legitimate reasons. I cannot believe that Google is getting away with something like this. It's awful how much concern trolling I have to go through while Big Tech gets a free pass for just about anything.
bigbuppo 2mo ago
So that's why they're killing off the desktop client. They can't figure out how to make it suck.
2OEH8eoCRo0 2mo ago
Terrible irresponsible feature.
CrzyLngPwd 2mo ago
I'm genuinely starting to think that these tools are being built to make us question our reality, provide plausible deniability to crimes we see happening right now in the middle east, and to encourage people to stop trusting everything they see and read.

42 points by donohoe 2mo ago

hellscapesite 2mo ago

Who the fuck thought this would be a good feature? What the fuck is wrong with this industry.

InsideOutSanta 2mo ago
This is actually insane. I'm usually indifferent toward AI integrations, I've learned to ignore them like I ignore most ads, but what the hell? The people who came up with this must be absolutely divorced from reality.
jbxntuehineoh 2mo ago
Haven't you heard? If you can, you should. You'd be an idiot not to. And hey, even if you don't, the next guy will. So you may as well.
MarkusQ 2mo ago
Reasonably clear explanation here: https://ludic.mataroa.blog/blog/ai-mania-is-eviscerating-global-decision-making/ https://ludic.mataroa.blog/blog/ai-mania-is-eviscerating-glo... Short quote to capture the main point: "I have evidently fallen into the pocket of Hell where the demons torment me by doing elaborate impressions of absolute fucking morons."

Cider9986 2mo ago

Seems to be completely uncensored. Crazy they shipped this.

centuryfall 2mo ago

It’s like it was specifically built for Fox News… But for real, this is bad. Like, really, really bad. And I understand this could have been done before by just screenshotting an image from Google Maps and feeding into an AI image processor, but now, that whole process is streamlined and immediately available, and Google’s messaging is that we can just fact check it ourselves with another AI tool. Well, that’s only possible with the original, non-altered image. Someone takes a screenshot and puts this up on a news broadcast or Twitter post, and then, how is anyone going to determine what is real or fake anymore?

willtemperley 2mo ago
> how is anyone going to determine what is real or fake anymore Through using AI to build tools that generate results with a verified chain of provenance.
- lwansbrough 2mo ago
  This is satire right?
  - Crespyl 2mo ago
    > "No, these are ground-truth pixels" - Disclosure Day (2026)
  - willtemperley 2mo ago
    No. What isn't reasonable about this approach? I think most people have got GeoAI backwards, creating derived imagery via AI is a terrible idea. Building better tools than we have with AI, using existing geoscience principles is absolutely the right approach.
copper-float 2mo ago
All media conglomerates will have a field day with this. CNN, MSNBC, and Fox have all been caught doing exactly these kinds of things. Don't act like the left has never lied or manipulated their stories, they're all equally terrible and soulless.
- margalabargala 2mo ago
  Yes, CNN has done it 13 times, MSNBC 27, and FOX well over 12,000 and counting. You can say "these are all the same" but if you can't see why people single out FOX that says a lot about your credibility.

echoangle 2mo ago

What’s the actual use case for this that’s not malicious? When would someone want to generate a fake satellite image of a selectable area? Is it for architects that want to visualize projects?

afavour 2mo ago

Google’s inane push to shove AI into every product is going to cause real harm here. I can’t even fathom what the legitimate use case for this would be.

kittikitti 2mo ago

I've been sent a cease and desist letter from the European Union for researching their satellite imagery with legitimate reasons. I cannot believe that Google is getting away with something like this. It's awful how much concern trolling I have to go through while Big Tech gets a free pass for just about anything.

bigbuppo 2mo ago

So that's why they're killing off the desktop client. They can't figure out how to make it suck.

2OEH8eoCRo0 2mo ago

Terrible irresponsible feature.

CrzyLngPwd 2mo ago

I'm genuinely starting to think that these tools are being built to make us question our reality, provide plausible deniability to crimes we see happening right now in the middle east, and to encourage people to stop trusting everything they see and read.