David Kaye

New from 404 Media: Google Earth has introduced an AI feature that lets anyone fabricate completely bullshit satellite images. In our own tests, we added a “bomb blast and crater” to an area of Los Angeles. This is a misinformation time bomb, will 100% be abused www.404media.c…

Google Earth’s New AI Lets Anyone Fabricate Completely Bullshit Satellite Images 404media.co

AI Weekly's analysis →

• Google launched an AI image feature in Google Earth on Thursday and pulled it within a day after 404 Media showed fabricated scenes.
• The tool used Nano Banana 2 to render text prompts onto real satellite data, generating fake bomb craters, nuclear sites, and protests.
• Named experts including Henk Van Ess and Ross Burley warned the launch could erode decades of built-up trust in Google Earth imagery.

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What "on earth"? The prioritization of ground truth for journalism, and our shared sense of reality - is less important to Google than "custom images to help you visualize history, create real estate plans, and more." And no, us checking every image is not the answer. blog.goo…

Transform any place with Nano Banana in Google Earth blog.google

AI Weekly's analysis →

• Google launched Nano Banana 2 image generation inside Google Earth on the web on July 30, 2026, available globally.
• Users zoom to any location, prompt the model, and get images grounded against real satellite, aerial and 3D imagery.
• The feature is web-only at launch, with no mobile app support and unspecified daily generation limits and subscription tier.

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🧵A quick note to translate what's really happening in this NYT op-ed: Eric Schmidt has always had contempt for non-tech people, reflective of a deeper orientation in the industry. This is more of that. Short 🧵🧵🧵

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The absolute absurdity of Anthropic putting out a policy document about stopping authoritarian AI while taking money from Abu Dhabi. "We believe that responsibility should rest with democratically elected governments, not authoritarian regimes" is an actual quote from that doc…

Anthropic Says We Must Stop Authoritarian AI. But What About Its Authoritarian Investors? theintercept.com

AI Weekly's analysis →

• MGX, controlled by Abu Dhabi's royal family, participated in both Anthropic's $30 billion February and $65 billion May 2026 funding rounds.
• Anthropic's May 2026 policy paper warned it is 'essential' for US allies to stay ahead of 'authoritarian governments like the Chinese Communist Party.'
• CEO Dario Amodei privately called the contradiction a 'Comms Headache' from 'very stupid' critics, per a 2025 memo obtained by Wired.

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We joined partner civil society organisations in writing to Andy Burnham as he becomes PM. We highlight US-based technology firms' excessive power over the UK economy and digital infrastructure, and urge him to curb this influence. Read our letter: www.article19.org/resources/…

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