How these activists used AI to ‘change’ the landmarks on Google Maps

Google has reportedly deleted dozens of images of Austrian landmarks from its popular maps service. According to a report by the news agency AFP, these altered pictures were uploaded on Google Maps by environmental activists from the country to highlight the potential impact of climate change.
The report claims that the activists used artificial intelligence (AI) to change these images.The AI-generated pictures reportedly showed the river Danube and Austrian lakes dried up and snowless Alpine peaks as though the images were taken in the year 2070.
These images were uploaded on Google Maps by the Austrian activist group Letzte Generation (Last Generation), the report added.

Google said it removed the photos as they misrepresents a location.
“Our policies clearly prohibit content that is not based on real experience or does not accurately represent a location. We are removing the policy-violating photos in question,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement to AFP.

The group said that it was "not very surprised" by the company’s action.
“They are ignoring the climate catastrophe, just like authorities and big companies in general,” Letzte Generation spokesperson Marina Hagen-Canaval said while talking about Google.
The group also noted that this is not their first stunt. Earlier, it posted these pictures on Google Maps to alert tourists. With the stunt, the activists wanted to warn tourists who use the service to prepare for their holidays about the risks of rising temperatures caused by climate change.
As per the report, Letzte Generation has staged other protest stunts. This includes blocking highways and has also promised to take more actions, including some on the internet.
Apart from this, Google Maps is reportedly planning to remove its "Followed Places" feature next year. After 2o25, users will no longer be able to see or follow places within the app. This feature helped users to stay updated about their favourite local businesses and receive notifications about them. These updates include changes in business hours, special offers, or new menu items.