Google Launches Custom Satellite Embeddings to Monitor Earth Changes Faster

Google has introduced Custom Satellite Embeddings, a new feature on the Google Maps Platform that allows organizations to monitor changes in a region's conditions at a higher frequency using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The service is now available in an Enterprise Private Preview stage and is supported by Google DeepMind's AlphaEarth Foundations model.

Previously, the AlphaEarth Foundations model produced a satellite image-based geospatial representation that was updated annually through Google Earth Engine and Google Cloud Storage. With the launch of Custom Satellite Embeddings, organizations can now create geospatial data summaries as needed for specific regions and timeframes.

Google states that this update changes the monitoring approach from an annual update to a much more dynamic monitoring. Depending on the availability of data, users can generate information summaries on a monthly, weekly, or even five-day interval.

The AlphaEarth Foundations model processes various data sources into an integrated geospatial representation in a 64-band image format. The system combines optical images, elevation data, radar signals, and three-dimensional LiDAR mapping to produce a more complete picture of the earth's surface conditions.

By combining these various types of data, the AI model is able to produce a clearer view, including in areas that are often covered by clouds. This approach helps users obtain more consistent information than simply relying on optical satellite imagery.

Previously, annual data from AlphaEarth Foundations has been used to map forest carbon reserves, identify agricultural facilities, and detect landform changes without requiring complex computing infrastructure or machine learning teams.

Through Custom Satellite Embeddings, Google is expanding the use of this technology to various sectors. In the agricultural sector, data can be used to monitor crop classification, crop development, to identify the impact of storms on farmland faster to support the preparation of financial projections.

In the business sector, companies can use this service to assess climate change risks, monitor disruptions in the agricultural sector, and help meet environmental regulations, including the EU Deforestation Regulation, which regulates the traceability of supply chains related to deforestation.

Meanwhile, government agencies can use the data to monitor urban growth and conduct damage assessments after disasters. Utility service providers can also use this technology to monitor vegetation growth that could potentially disrupt electricity networks and telecommunications infrastructure.

Google is also opening up access for companies to test the service through an Enterprise Private Preview program on Google Maps Platform.

In addition to the commercial sector, Google launched a grant program for academic researchers. Through this program, researchers from universities and academic institutions who meet the requirements can apply to obtain free data samples through Google Earth Engine. Registration for the grant program is open until September 1, 2026.