Google Maps gets chat with a new interface powered by Gemini

There’s something new button in Google Maps: “Ask the maps.” Google started rolling out this new AI feature today, an in-app chat tool that brings together data from Maps with a user experience similar to the company’s. twin chatbot. It’s designed to answer questions about locations and scheduling routes in a navigation app.

This is part of Google’s overall strategy to add Gemini to all of its products. (Like that Portland fee (The duo visits a store and places bird stickers on everything in sight.) Earlier this week, Google added Gemini powered gadgets To the Workspace suite, including Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Weeks ago, a method appeared for the first time Gemini to control specific applications To run tasks, like booking an Uber.

Ask Maps comes first for Google Maps users in the US and India. This launch is limited to Mobile devicesIt is available on Android and iOS, and a desktop version is expected to be released in the near future. You can’t opt ​​out of or hide Ask Maps, just like many new features Artificial intelligence features From Google.

“Put Up Maps” appears as the first tab below the search bar. When someone clicks on it, Google offers personalized quick suggestions. For example, someone lives in San Francisco You might be prompted to plan a drive to Muir Woods, including a stop for a breakfast burrito, or explore the old department store roads for shopping in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.

It is designed to be used while planning road trips. In one example provided by Google, Ask Maps created a solid nature vacation itinerary from the Grand Canyon to nearby Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. The chatbot has compiled a three-day driving plan with multiple lookouts and other popular stops marked along the way. Ask Maps rounded off the score with some tips for enjoying time on the dunes: “Rent a sandboard at the visitor center and get some wax – it’s the key to speed.”

The chat feature is an example of Google taking advantage of the data it stores about users to deliver personalized experiences. If Ask Maps registers that you’re vegetarian, it will reconfigure the restaurants included as part of the recommendations — no House of Prime Rib for a night on the town. Gemini chatbot You can now search your inbox and files to find answers, another example of Google’s increasing focus on AI-powered personalization.