Over the past year, Google has added several AI-powered features to Maps to improve search and help users ask questions about locations. The company is currently using Gemini to upgrade its app to allow users to ask AI bots questions while driving, improve navigation, and perform more tasks.
While driving, users can now have Gemini answer questions about points of interest along their route, return results on other topics (such as sports or news), and perform tasks such as adding events to their calendar.
You can also ask multiple questions during the conversation. For example, “Are there any affordable restaurants with vegan options along my route and within a few miles? … What’s the parking like there?”
Drivers can also use Gemini to report road accidents, and Maps proactively notifies users of disruptions on the route ahead.
Google also plans to add new features to Maps that combine Gemini and Street View data to improve navigation instructions. So instead of telling you to turn right after, say, 500 feet, Maps mentions nearby landmarks like gas stations, restaurants, and famous buildings and highlights them before you turn.
The company says Gemini cross-references information about approximately 250 million locations with Street View imagery to identify important visible landmarks for navigation.
Maps also gains the ability to answer questions about your surroundings by working with Google Lens. So you can point your camera at a place of interest, such as a restaurant or landmark, and ask questions like “What is this place and why is it popular?”
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Google said Gemini’s new navigation features will roll out to iOS and Android devices in the coming weeks, with support for Android Auto coming soon. Traffic alerts will first be rolled out to Android users in the US. Landmark navigation is currently only available in the US on both iOS and Android. And Lens with Gemini is expected to be operational in the US later this month.
