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Google is introducing generative AI features into its mapping applications, including Google Maps, Google Earth and Waze, with the goal of improving the user experience through more detailed and interactive responses. These innovations will be available initially to a select group of testers.

Key points:

• Google is using Gemini generative AI to enrich the functionality of Maps, Earth and Waze.
• Users will be able to receive conversational and curated answers in their searches.
• Waze will introduce voice reporting for road events, simplifying interaction.
• Google Earth will enable complex searches for advanced geographic analysis.

Google announced the integration of generative AI within its mapping platforms, aiming to optimize user interaction with Google Maps, Google Earth and Waze. The innovation leverages Gemini, the model developed internally by Google as a competitor to GPT-4, to provide a richer and more contextualized search experience. Currently, more than 2 billion users make use of Google Maps each month, and the company points out that the use of AI is not new: many features have already been improved through this technology in the past. Chris Phillips, vice president of the Geo division, highlighted how AI is behind tools such as Google Lens, which allows users to get information about businesses simply by framing them with the phone’s camera.

Among the new features coming soon, users of the Google Maps apps for iOS and Android in the United States will notice more detailed and interactive search results. During a demonstration, it was shown how the platform responds to conversational requests, offering personalized suggestions on what to do in a city, such as Boston, with information on different places, including speakeasies and other categories, accompanied by summaries of reviews. Confidence in the accuracy of this information is assured by Gemini’s analysis, which verifies data and facts within Google’s database, also integrating external sources but focusing primarily on its own reviews and data.

Another development concerns the exploration of stops when planning a route. Google Maps will offer suggestions for points of interest and rest stops, thus simplifying the user experience. In addition, after completing a route, the app will suggest parking options and provide pedestrian directions, including the ability to use augmented reality to reach the final destination. These new features will be available to all iOS and Android users in the coming weeks and will also include weather outage alerts and an immersive view of 150 global cities.

As for Waze, fully integrated into Google’s Geo division, the app will continue to improve the navigation experience. The introduction of conversational reports will allow users to report events on the road simply by verbally describing what they observe, making on-screen icons unnecessary. This feature, initially accessible only to a select group of trusted testers, represents a significant step toward more natural and fluid interaction.

In addition, Waze is preparing to facilitate the inclusion of school zones on the map by alerting users when they are in the vicinity of such areas, a feature scheduled to launch on iOS and Android later this year. Finally, Google Earth will benefit from significant improvements, with the introduction of advanced searches that will allow users to visualize complex data, such as analyzing the distribution of electric vehicle charging stations in specific geographic areas. This new feature will initially be available to trusted beta testers.

The integration of generative AI into Google’s platforms represents a significant step forward in the personalization and interactivity of mapping services, set to transform the way users interact with geographic information.