You can now walk through AI versions of real places with Google’s Project Genie
Google has launched Project Genie, an experimental AI world-building project that uses real-world imagery from Google Street View. This update allows users to create interactive virtual environments that blend real locations with imaginative AI-generated styles. The project aims to enhance AI understanding of geography and environments through simulation, with potential applications in AI training.
- ▪Project Genie can now generate interactive virtual environments using real-world imagery from Google Street View.
- ▪Users can transform selected locations into stylized AI worlds, such as reimagining the Golden Gate Bridge as an underwater exploration zone.
- ▪The project has been used for AI research and by Waymo to simulate realistic driving environments.
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| Original publisher | Digital Trends |
| Canonical URL | https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/you-can-now-walk-through-ai-versions-of-real-places-with-google-genie/ |
| Publication time | Tue, 19 May 2026 19:43:48 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-19T19:49:58.039Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-19T19:49:58.039Z |
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| Cluster | hmfN79wERN7z · 3 stories |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Google I/O 2026 This story is part of our complete Google I/O coverage Updated less than 2 minutes ago Google is pushing its experimental AI world-building project into surprisingly realistic territory. The company announced that Project Genie can now use real-world imagery from Google Street View to generate interactive virtual environments, blending real locations with imaginative AI-generated styles. At its core, Genie is what Google calls a “world model” — an AI system capable of creating explorable digital environments where AI agents, robots, or even users can interact naturally. Until now, those worlds were mostly synthetic. But with this new update, Genie can anchor itself to real places pulled directly from Street View imagery.
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