We are expanding access to Google AI Ultra subscribers globally and introducing a new capability powered by Street View. Project Genie serves as a general-purpose world model that can generate diverse, interactive environments, enabling agents to learn and reason in complex virtual settings, and even assisting Waymo in simulating hyper-realistic road environments.
Now, we are taking a leap forward by connecting Genie’s generative power with the real-world imagery of Google Street View, allowing our models to anchor themselves in reality. This expansion provides a virtual environment for AI agents or robots to navigate and interact with the complexities of the real world. Today, we are launching this new Street View grounding capability within Project Genie, our experimental prototype, allowing users to leverage real-world imagery to explore their favorite spots or reimagine them creatively.
Select the “Ocean World” style to scuba dive with schools of fish around real-world locations. When creating imaginative worlds in Project Genie, you can now base them on real places. Just tap the Maps pin to choose a place in the U.S. and optionally select a style for your world, like “Desert Sands” or “Stone Age.” Then, describe your character—whether it’s your favorite animal, comic book hero, or even a claymation monster—and Genie will use this information to create an imaginative world tied to Street View's real-world imagery.
Want to see the Golden Gate Bridge underwater? Select the “Ocean World” style to dive with fish around the bridge. Or, if you want to explore what the iconic Fort Worth Stockyards in Texas might have looked like in the 1920s, select the “B&W film” style to see a world with saloons, vintage cars, and trading posts.
Street View imagery in Project Genie is currently available for places in the U.S., with plans to expand to more locations over time. Starting today, Project Genie—including the new Street View capability—is gradually rolling out to all eligible Google AI Ultra $200 subscribers globally (18+). As an experimental research prototype in Google Labs, we are working behind the scenes to make the details even sharper and more accurate. You can read more about our progress and current limitations on our website.
Blogger's Review: The launch of Project Genie signifies a deep integration of virtual reality with the real world, leveraging the authenticity of Street View imagery to provide users with an enriching creative experience. This not only advances the application of AI in environmental simulation but also offers users a new way to explore, showcasing the limitless possibilities of technology. Looking forward to the expansion to more locations in the future!