Google’s new Earth AI uses Gemini to forecast disasters and track global health risks

Google Earth

When natural disasters strike, billions rely on Google’s tools like Search and Maps for life-saving updates. Now, the company is taking that mission a step further by expanding Earth AI, its global geospatial intelligence system designed to understand the planet in near real time.

Built on Gemini’s reasoning capabilities, Earth AI integrates models that forecast floods, cyclones, air quality, droughts and more — drawing on satellite imagery and years of Earth observation. It’s already been used to provide early flood forecasts for over two billion people and to send wildfire alerts to 15 million residents during the 2025 California fires, said Google in a blog post.

A key new feature is Geospatial Reasoning, a Gemini-powered framework that connects diverse models — from weather and population density to infrastructure data — to answer complex questions. For instance, the nonprofit GiveDirectly uses it to combine flood maps with demographic data to quickly identify the communities most in need of emergency aid.

Google is also integrating Earth AI models directly into Google Earth. Analysts and professionals can now ask natural-language questions to instantly detect environmental changes, such as drying rivers or algae blooms threatening drinking water. This feature will roll out to Google Earth Professional users in the U.S. in the coming weeks, with expanded access for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.

Meanwhile, Google Cloud is opening Earth AI’s imagery, population and environment models to select testers. Organisations can combine these with their own data to improve disaster preparedness, environmental monitoring and urban planning.

According to Google, global partners are already deploying it. The World Health Organization (WHO Africa) is using Earth AI to track cholera risks in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Satellite companies Planet and Airbus are leveraging it to monitor deforestation and vegetation growth near power lines.

Google says Earth AI aims to make understanding the physical world as intuitive as reasoning about the digital one — empowering communities to respond faster to crises, protect lives and plan for a more resilient future.