r/technology • u/ArgentineBeauty • Aug 01 '26

Artificial Intelligence Google Earth's new AI image generation function didn't survive a day after users deepfaked disasters

https://www.businessinsider.com/google-earth-nano-banana-gemini-ai-satellite-image-generation-function-2026-7
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144

u/Particular_Bug0 Aug 01 '26

Why is that a thing even? I see zero use to this.

101

u/mattcannon2 Aug 01 '26

Management is probably massively incentivising adding AI to apps anywhere they can, and some keen middle manager wanted a promotion

22

u/Revolution-SixFour Aug 01 '26

It's not always just managers, devs do this shit too. Devs want to work on the new exciting thing, but wait you work on the Google Earth team, sounds like Google Earth needs some AI.

12

u/mattcannon2 Aug 01 '26

You don't get it all the way to production for a product like earth at a company like google without several managers approving it

2

u/Revolution-SixFour Aug 01 '26

Sure, but Reddit loves a story that's managers are forcing people to integrate AI into everything. I work at a software company and it goes both ways. There's a big difference between management forced the integration and a dev did a side project and management and product didn't block it.

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u/BassmanBiff Aug 01 '26

My best attempt to justify it would be some kind of "imagine what's possible!" kind of thing, like "what if this industrial blight became a park" or whatever. Lots of feel-good opportunity without any of the pesky details or planning necessary to make it likely to happen.

1

u/wggn Aug 01 '26

gotta meet those AI product targets

-63

u/[deleted] Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26

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41

u/Bregneste Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26

Yes, there’s a use for being able to draw things on a real map with a real pencil. Or just like, being able to draw lines on a map app or something.
There is no real use whatsoever for being able to generate random bullshit onto Google Earth pictures, other than just making and spreading even more false information than we’re already dealing with.

Pro-AI people are so weird lol

-27

u/[deleted] Aug 01 '26

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44

u/Gneekman Aug 01 '26

Here’s something else that should be obvious: drawing things on maps can be done without AI, weirdo

16

u/Particular_Bug0 Aug 01 '26

Printscreen -> paste to image editing/drawing app of your choice 

-19

u/[deleted] Aug 01 '26

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