What you need to know
- Google Earth is receiving an update this week that brings Nano Banana 2 into its AI portfolio.
- Users can zoom in on a place and click “create image” to prompt Nano Banana 2 to create an infographic with Gemini or a rendering in an empty plot of land.
- Google Earth’s recent major AI update was about helping researchers predict and understand disasters and weather patterns.
Google Earth is getting another round of AI updates late this week. This time, the company is leaning on its next-gen image generation model.
Imagining, or rather seeing what’s possible, is something Google Earth is bringing to users this week. Gemini’s image generation model, Nano Banana 2, is rolling out in Google Earth. The post states users can “generate custom images using satellite, aerial, and 3D imagery.” Google states Nano Banana 2 can be helpful in a few different ways, such as bringing history to the present. If you’re interested in seeing what a city looked like centuries ago, Google says Nano Banana 2 can create “a hyper-realistic” render of that place.
While the history can be fun, users can change a landmark, city, or building with an entirely different aesthetic. Google states users can type “transform X into a futuristic sci-fi utopia with glowing walkways…” For companies, Google says Nano Banana 2 can help “create estate plans” using empty lots you find in the Earth app. Moreover, this extends to any user looking to “visualize” a backyard project or what a home would look like secluded in the woods near the lakefront.
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An AI update in a place like Google Earth wouldn’t be complete without a chance to learn. Nano Banana 2 can lean on Gemini to generate infographics about a specific city directly in the app.
To get started, users need only head to Google Earth on their computer, zoom in on a location, hit “create image,” and type their prompt.
Our World
Android Central’s Take
I could see the infographic generation being helpful in schools. But also, the idea of helping people visualize larger projects feels like an extension of what Gemini can do already. On my phone, I could ask Gemini to fill a room with specific furniture, so I have an idea of how to design my living room or kitchen. Google Earth literally took that and made it bigger for empty plots on stretches of land.
Google Earth received an important AI update for researchers. Disasters are a reality we have to deal with on this big blue ball; however, they don’t always have to catch us off guard. Google Earth’s Gemini-based update brought “deeper insights” about the planet’s weather patterns. At the time, the company said Gemini could help “instantly find objects and discover patterns from satellite imagery.” Sandstorm predictions were mentioned, as well as the ability to monitor clean drinking water conditions.
As our planet is complex, Google was also preparing to introduce a Geospatial Reasoning update for Trusted Testers. This would help researchers and Earth AI answer more complex questions, leveraging weather forecasts, population maps, and satellite imagery.