Google Maps now has AI to zap clouds and haze

Google Maps and Google Earth are getting a handful of updates, including more images in popular and less-visited locations, and fewer clouds and haze in satellite images – thanks to artificial intelligence.

In one blog post this week, Google said it is adding newer images to Street View in 80 countries, including Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Iceland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa and Uruguay. It also brings Street View to four additional countries for the first time: Bosnia and Herzegovina; Namibia; Liechtenstein; and Paraguay.

The company said its newer 15-pound wearable camera, which launched two years ago and can be mounted on any car, will make it even easier to capture more later.

Satellite images also become sharper in Google Earth and Maps using a AI cloud removal tool that removes clouds, cloud shadows, mist and fog from photos. The company said its ‘Cloud Score Plus’ AI model has been trained on millions of images. While it eliminates clouds and other elements that can obscure vision, it leaves real weather patterns, such as ice, snow and mountain shadows, visible to provide a clearer and more accurate view of Earth, the company said.

And for users who want to see how Earth has changed over time, a new historical imagery tool will allow them to search satellite and aerial photos dating back as far as 80 years. The company said the feature will arrive on desktop and mobile “soon.”