Google Maps is one of the most popular and widely used applications for navigation, travel, and local discovery. However, finding the right place to go can sometimes be challenging, especially when you have specific preferences or needs. That’s why Google Maps is introducing a new feature that uses generative AI to help you discover new places based on your search queries.
Generative AI is a branch of artificial intelligence that can create new content or data from existing information. For example, generative AI can produce realistic images, texts, or sounds that are not present in the original data. In the case of Google Maps, generative AI can analyze the over 250 million locations and the contributions from over 300 million Local Guides to generate personalized and relevant suggestions for places to visit.
The new feature works by allowing users to express their preferences using natural language in the Google Maps app. For instance, if you are looking for a motel for tonight that is pet-friendly and has vegan options, you can simply type or say “motel for tonight with pets and vegan food” and Maps will show you the best matches. You can also ask follow-up questions or refine your search criteria to get more specific results.
The generative AI feature also makes use of the rich information and insights that Google Maps has about different places, such as photos, ratings, reviews, and descriptions. It can highlight the features or aspects that match your query and explain why a place might be interesting for you to visit. For example, if you search for “places with a vintage vibe in SF”, Maps will show you clothing stores, vinyl shops, and flea markets that have a retro style, along with photo carousels and review summaries that showcase their vintage appeal.
The new feature is designed to be more conversational and intuitive than the traditional search experience. It can also handle even the most niche or specific queries and offer suggestions that you might not have thought of before. For example, if you are feeling adventurous and want to try something new, you can ask Maps for “surprise me” and it will generate a random suggestion for a place to go.
The new feature is currently available as an early access experiment to select Local Guides, a community of members that contribute reviews, facts, and photos on Maps to help other users with detailed information about different locations. It will be rolled out to other users in the near future. Google says that this is just the beginning of how they are supercharging Maps with generative AI and that they are excited to shape the future of Maps together with their passionate community.
Google Maps is launching a new feature that uses generative AI to help users discover new places based on their search queries. The feature allows users to use natural language to express their preferences and get personalized and relevant suggestions for places to visit. The feature also highlights the features and aspects that match the query and explains why a place might be interesting. The feature is currently available to select Local Guides and will be available to other users soon. Google says that this is just the beginning of how they are using generative AI to improve Maps.
Google Maps data is generally accurate and up-to-date, but it can vary depending on the source, method, and frequency of data collection and processing. Google Maps uses various techniques to ensure accuracy, such as satellite imagery, cameras, GPS, and user contributions. However, the world is constantly changing, and some places may have more or less data available than others. Google Maps also allows users, businesses, and customers to report data issues and update information via different channels
Google Maps collects data about places from various sources, such as satellite imagery, cameras at traffic signals, GPS on mobile phones, and user contributions. Google Maps uses algorithms to process and analyze the data and create accurate and up-to-date maps of the world.