Nano Banana in Google Earth Can Generate Fake Satellite Images

Google has built its Nano Banana AI model into Google Earth, letting any user generate images from a text prompt on top of real satellite, aerial and 3D data. According to The Verge, the first public tests showed that the tool can produce convincing fakes, from "refugees at the Mexican border" to bomb craters next to hospitals in conflict zones.

What Nano Banana can do in Google Earth

Nano Banana sits directly in the Google Earth interface. A user types a text prompt, and the model generates an image on top of real geographic data: satellite imagery, aerial photography or 3D terrain models.

Technically, this means the user works with real geographic context, including actual coordinates, terrain and infrastructure, but inserts people, objects or traces of events that do not exist. The generated image is visually indistinguishable from genuine aerial photography. It is not an abstract illustration but a specific place on the map with plausible detail.

How researchers demonstrated the problem

Henk van Ess, a researcher at Digital Digging, published several examples of images created with Nano Banana:

• A shot of "refugees at the Mexican border", imitating aerial footage of a migration flow
• A bomb crater next to a hospital in Gaza, an image that can look like documentary evidence of war
• Arbitrary objects on real terrain: buildings, vehicles, traces of destruction

The Digital Digging examples spread through the media precisely because they looked like real photographs rather than obvious photo montages. Satellite images are traditionally treated as objective visual evidence. Investigative journalists, human rights organizations and international investigators use them to document conflicts and human rights violations. When an image is tied to real coordinates and shared without context, telling a fake from an original is practically impossible without specialized tools.

How Google protects against disinformation

Google acknowledged the risk and pointed to built-in verification mechanisms.

"We take disinformation seriously.

Every image created with Nano Banana in Google Earth includes a SynthID digital watermark. If a person doubts an image's authenticity, they can check it through the Gemini app or Google Lens," the company said in an official statement.

SynthID is a digital watermarking technology developed at Google DeepMind. The invisible mark is embedded directly in the image's pixels, does not reduce its quality and survives most standard edits. Google also suggests an @verifyai tag for posts containing AI images, so audiences know what they are looking at.

The weak point of this protection is awareness. SynthID only works when users know the verification tool exists and deliberately use it. Someone who receives an image in a messenger or on social media typically will not check where it came from.

What this means

Nano Banana in Google Earth lowers the technical barrier to creating convincing visual disinformation to zero. Previously, a plausible fake satellite image required photo-editing skills and specialized software. Now it takes only a text prompt. Watermarks reduce the risk but do not eliminate it.

Frequently asked questions

How can I check whether a satellite image was created with AI?

Google offers two verification tools: the Gemini app and Google Lens in search. Both can recognize the SynthID mark embedded in every Nano Banana image. If an image was created with this tool, the mark lets you confirm it.

What is SynthID?

SynthID is a digital watermarking technology from Google DeepMind. The invisible mark is embedded in an image's pixels and survives most edits, making it possible to identify AI-generated content with dedicated verification tools.