3 weeks ago
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It was going to happen eventually; Gemini AI is making its way to Google Maps. This will give Maps two major capabilities: curating your activities and answering your queries.
Suppose your friend is in town, and they message you to link up. To take some pressure off of being the perfect host, you can now ask Google Maps for “things to do in New York City at night with friends” and have it curate and present a list of places that seem most appropriate for your prompt. The list will provide all the important details, such as business hours and pricing. You can always modify your prompt and have it generate new lists.
Suppose you spot a place from the list you want to visit. Clicking on it previously gave you its details and a long list of reviews you could scroll through. Now, the Gemini Assistant on Google Maps will summarize all the reviews posted about the establishment. So, you can save time reading people’s sentiments in a few lines at the top of the page.
Google Maps can also talk to you like a regular AI assistant does. You will now see a question field where you can ask about a location, such as “Does it have parking?” “Does it have outdoor seating?” or “What is the atmosphere like?” and have it answer all your queries in real-time. This is meant to save you the effort of skimming through the info page of a bar or, worse, scrolling through the reviews to have your query answered.
The features above will roll out in the U.S. on Android and iOS this week. The company says review summaries and the option to ask detailed questions about locations will also be coming to Google Search “in the coming months.”
To clarify, the Gemini results on Google Maps will be the same as if you ask Gemini on its app. The only big update is that the AI assistant will now live on Maps, so you don’t have to switch between apps. Those sick of seeing AI recently being stuffed everywhere will not be happy about these updates. But, of course, Google had to inject the greatest app of all time with its AI chatbot.
This update also includes a few navigation-based changes. Now, when you enter your destination, you’ll instantly see all the top landmarks, attractions, scenic spots, and dining options along the way. This should save the effort of manually looking those up.
Google will now be better at letting you know about upcoming lane merges when you’re out driving. It claims it’ll help you spot crosswalks and road signs with its “enhanced navigation.” You’ll also be able to see and report weather disruptions, such as flooding and unplowed or foggy roads. This one is coming right in time for the winter months ahead.
Google is also introducing arrival guidance in its new updates. Arrival guidance is supposed to make sure the route from your parking spot to the door of your destination is sorted. It’ll show you where to park, remind you to save your parking so you don’t forget it, and once you’ve parked, provide walking directions on how to get to the entrance of your destination.
The feature to explore your route in advance, see and report weather hazards, and arrival guidance will all start rolling out globally on Android and iOS this week. Expect to see the enhanced navigation feature on Android and iOS next month in over 30 U.S metros, with “plans to expand to more places over time.”
