Google Maps gets major upgrade with AI-powered personal assistant features
Google unveils its biggest Maps update in a decade, adding AI-driven tools for food orders, hotel bookings, event discovery, and real-time transit in 150+ countries.
Google Maps just unveiled its most substantial update in a decade, integrating AI-driven functionalities for food orders, hotel reservations, event discovery, and real-time transit across over 150 countries. Dubbed a major transformation to Google Maps, the update enables agentic capabilities capable of managing multi-step tasks like ordering meals, seeking accommodations, and uncovering events. It also includes real-time public transportation details and personalized insights tied to Gmail accounts.
The service, powered by Gemini models, comprehends complex conversational requests. For instance, a user could say, "Order me a spicy seafood Pad Kee Mao to pick up on my way home," and Maps would locate open restaurants along the user's route, consider saved locations and dietary preferences, and automatically add the dish to an order for review and payment. Square and Toast have partnered for Square and Toast integration, while Uber Eats integration is on the way.
Users can search for hotels using natural language, like, "Find me a reasonably priced hotel with high ratings and an artistic vibe, within walking distance of a gym and restaurants." The service compares real-time prices, verifies availability, and displays nearby happenings such as concerts and comedy shows, complete with ticket links.
Personal Intelligence feature allows users to link Maps with their Gmail account (and later, their calendar), enabling the service to automatically account for travel plans and reservations. For example, asking, "Suggest how I can spend a few hours near my hotel before my flight tomorrow" will yield recommendations based on a hotel booking in Buraidah, along with a suggested airport time.
Users can also enable history settings to retrieve earlier ideas without restarting the planning process.
Google Maps also features a tool displaying real-time bus schedules and minute-by-minute updates for delays on buses, trains, metros, and ferries via a virtual departure board. Users can suggest edits to place information through conversation, upload a photo of a shop sign for Maps to automatically extract new opening hours, and add local tips simply by speaking. These user-added tips will be visible to others. The service maintains built-in safeguards to verify the accuracy of these contributions.
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