Google has integrated a range of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features over the past year to Maps, ensuring to improve discovery and answer questions regarding places.
Now, the Alphabet-owned Google has upgraded the app with Gemini, its bot, to enhance navigation, allow hands-free use, and enable users to perform tasks while driving.
With Gemini, drivers can ask questions regarding places of interest along their route, request information on different topics such as news and sports, and also add events to their calendar.
With this significant update, users can interact in multi-step conversations such as asking, “Is there a budget-friendly restaurant with vegan options nearby? … What’s parking like there?”
Moreover, drivers can report traffic incidents, while Maps proactively alerts users to disruptions ahead.
The latest feature combines Gemini with Street View data for enhanced navigation introductions.
Rather than simple directions like “turn right in 500 feet,” Maps will now reference nearby landmarks, including restaurants, gas stations, and notable buildings, underscoring them before turns.
Gemini cross-references nearly 250 million places with Street View images to detect visible, important landmarks for easier navigation.
Apart from this update, Gemini with Google Lens is also enabling users to use their camera at restaurants, landmarks, or other points of interest and ask questions about them.
With the combination of Gemini, Street View, and Lens, Google aims to make navigation more easier and intuitive.
