Google Maps Gets Chatty With a New Gemini-Powered Interface


There’s a new button in Google Maps: “Ask Maps.” Google started rolling out this new generative AI feature today, a conversational, in-app tool that combines data from Maps with a user experience similar to the company’s Gemini chatbot. It’s designed to answer questions about locations and schedule routes in the navigation app.

This is part of Google’s overall strategy of adding Gemini to all its products. (Like that Portlandia sketch where the duo visits a boutique and puts bird decals on everything in sight.) Earlier this week, Google added Gemini-powered tools to its Workspace suite, including Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. And weeks before, it debuted a way for Gemini to take control of select apps to run tasks, like booking an Uber.

Ask Maps is first coming to Google Maps users in the US and India. This launch is limited to mobile devices, available on both Android and iOS, with a desktop version expected in the near future. You can’t opt out of Ask Maps or hide it, just like many of the new AI features from Google.

Ask Maps appears as the first tab under the search bar. When someone taps on it, Google provides personalized prompt suggestions. For example, someone living in San Francisco may be nudged to plan a drive out to Muir Woods, including a pit stop for breakfast burritos, or explore vintage store routes for shopping in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.

It’s designed to be utilized while planning road trips. In an example provided by Google, Ask Maps created a solid itinerary for a nature getaway traveling from the Grand Canyon to the nearby Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. The chatbot compiled a three-day driving plan with multiple lookout points and other popular stops marked along the route. Ask Maps ended this output with a few tips for enjoying time at the dunes: “Rent a sandboard at the visitor center and grab some wax—it’s key for speed.”

The conversational feature is an example of Google leveraging the data it stores about users to offer personalized experiences. If Ask Maps logs that you’re a vegetarian, it will reconfigure the restaurants included as part of the recommendations—no House of Prime Rib for a date night in the city. The Gemini chatbot can now search through your inbox and files to find answers, and it’s another example of Google’s increasing focus on AI-powered customization.



Source link

  • Related Posts

    Uber is shooting for even more upscale clientele with Uber Elite

    Uber has a new invite-only luxury ride experience called Uber Elite. Aimed at “executives, frequent travelers, and riders looking for a more elevated experience,” it sounds like an upgraded version…

    The Download: Early adopters cash in on China’s OpenClaw craze, and US batteries slump

    Feng is among a small cohort of savvy early adopters making serious cash from China’s OpenClaw craze. As users with little technical background want in, a cottage industry of installation services and…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Rep. Jim Clyburn, 85-year-old South Carolina Democrat, running for reelection

    Rep. Jim Clyburn, 85-year-old South Carolina Democrat, running for reelection

    Uber is shooting for even more upscale clientele with Uber Elite

    Uber is shooting for even more upscale clientele with Uber Elite

    China targets more ‘employment-friendly’ growth

    NHL playoff watch: Stars-Oilers a conference finals preview?

    NHL playoff watch: Stars-Oilers a conference finals preview?

    Marriott Bonvoy members can now top off free night award certificates with up to 25,000 points

    Marriott Bonvoy members can now top off free night award certificates with up to 25,000 points

    Translating, restraining kids, teaching multiple grades at once: Alberta teachers describe complex classrooms

    Translating, restraining kids, teaching multiple grades at once: Alberta teachers describe complex classrooms