Google has been one of the pioneers in the generative AI space, alongside rivals like OpenAI and Meta. After losing the first-mover advantage to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google has been striving to establish a solid foundation by launching a myriad of generative AI tools—whether it be its chatbot, Bard, its Gemini Nano-powered Pixel features, or even the Imagen 2 model for generating images.
Now, it seems as if the company has no intention of stopping, with generative AI features expanding to Google Maps as well. Simply put, using generative AI, Google Maps will be able to analyse maps to provide quality of life features such as restaurant recommendations based on the information it has about 250 million places and insights from the growing list of 300 million contributors.
Here’s a Use Case that Google Points Out
“Let’s say you’re visiting San Francisco and want to plan a few hours of thrifting for unique vintage finds. Just ask Maps what you’re looking for, like ‘places with a vintage vibe in SF.’ Our AI models will analyze Maps’ rich information about nearby businesses and places, along with photos, ratings, and reviews from the Maps community to give you trustworthy suggestions,” Google said.
Google also further notes that you will be able to see the results organised into categories, such as clothing stores, vinyl shops, flea markets, accompanied by photo carousels and reviews.
Who Is It Rolling out for?
This feature is going to be exclusive to the US for now, but Google says that it will roll out the same to everyone “over time,” as it receives more feedback. But, for now, it is only available for select ‘Local Guides’ who are “some of the most active and passionate members of the Maps community.”
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