Google's 'virtual satellite' AI model can provide a near real-time view of Earth

Google's new AI model, AlphaEarth Foundations, acts as a "virtual satellite" by combining data from various sources to provide near real-time Earth monitoring. The system divides land and coastal waters into color-coded 10x10 meter squares, creating compact summaries that require less storage than comparable AI systems. Scientists can use this data to create detailed maps for purposes like crop health monitoring and deforestation tracking, with Google releasing the dataset to researchers for further applications.