Google announced Thursday that it has integrated its Nano Banana 2 image generation model into Google Earth on the web, allowing users to create AI-generated images based on satellite, aerial, and 3D map views.
The feature adds a new “Create image” tool inside Google Earth. Users can zoom to a location, capture the current map view, and describe what they want to see, such as a community park replacing an empty lot, a futuristic skyline, or a historical reconstruction of an ancient city.
Google says the tool can be used to visualize construction projects, generate real estate concepts, create educational infographics, or imagine how a place looked in the past or could look in the future. The tech giant highlighted several examples, including turning the ruins of Pompeii into a Roman-era street scene, generating an infographic for the Statue of Liberty, and redesigning urban spaces with new buildings, trees, or public infrastructure.
“For the first time, you can generate custom images using Google Earth’s satellite, aerial, and 3D imagery alongside Nano Banana, which creates concepts grounded in the real world,” Google wrote,
Limits are built in
The new tool is labeled experimental and comes with several restrictions.
Generated images can only be saved inside Google Earth projects, cannot be directly exported or shared outside the platform, and include both visible and invisible watermarks to distinguish them from standard map imagery, according to Google’s developer documentation.
Google also notes that image generation uses Google Earth’s overhead imagery rather than Street View photos.
Early testing raises questions
ZDNET, which tested the feature before launch, found it entertaining but less useful for professional geographic or architectural work. In several tests, the AI produced visually impressive results but struggled with historical accuracy, building placement, street layouts, and text generation in infographics.
The publication concluded that the system behaves more like an image editor working from a screenshot than a tool with deep geographic understanding of the locations shown in Google Earth.
What this could change
The more interesting part of this launch is not the image quality; it is where Google is placing the model. By embedding Nano Banana inside a mapping product, Google is turning Earth from a tool for viewing places into a tool for imagining them.
That could matter for architects, urban planners, educators, and real estate professionals who need quick visual concepts rather than precise engineering drawings. A teacher can illustrate an ancient city, a planner can mock up a neighborhood redesign, and a homeowner can preview a renovation without leaving the browser.
The tradeoff is accuracy. AI-generated historical scenes, future projections, and development concepts may look convincing while being factually wrong or structurally unrealistic. For exploration and brainstorming, the feature is powerful; for documentation, planning approval, or historical reconstruction, it remains a starting point rather than a reliable source.
What this means for users
For most users, the new feature is best treated as a creative visualization tool rather than an accurate representation of a place.
Educators could use it to make historical locations more engaging, while homeowners and community groups could quickly visualize renovations, parks, or neighborhood improvements. Real estate professionals, architects, and urban planners may also find it useful for producing rough concepts before investing time in more precise design software.
However, users should not rely on the generated images for construction plans, historical research, property decisions, or other work that requires geographic accuracy. The model may alter streets, buildings, landmarks, and text while still producing an image that appears realistic.
The sharing restrictions also reduce its usefulness outside Google Earth. Because generated images currently remain inside Earth projects, the tool is better suited to experimentation and internal brainstorming than polished presentations or public-facing materials.
Also read: For a closer look at how Nano Banana fits alongside Gemini, Veo, Imagen, and the rest of Google’s expanding AI lineup, read our guide to Google’s AI models.