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Google Maps will integrate artificial intelligence more extensively to assist users in determining their destinations and the optimal routes as part of
a significant redesign announced on Thursday. This overhaul, powered by Google's Gemini technology, will introduce two AI features to the mapping service utilized by over 2 billion users globally.
Introduction of Ask Maps
The first tool, Ask Maps, will enhance the conversational capabilities that Google introduced to the service last November. This feature will offer suggestions for users seeking nearby amenities such as charging stations, cafes with minimal wait times, or detailed itineraries for multi-stop road trips.Ask Maps will leverage a comprehensive database that includes over 300 million places and reviews from more than 500 million contributors accumulated since the launch of Google Maps over two decades ago. Google executives did not disclose whether the company intends to incorporate advertisements to improve visibility for businesses within Ask Maps' recommendations. Initially, Ask Maps will be available on the Google Maps mobile app for iPhones and Android devices in the United States and India, with plans to expand to personal computers and additional countries.
Immersive Navigation Feature
In what Google executives describe as the most significant alteration to the maps' driving directions, Gemini has developed a feature called Immersive Navigation. This tool will provide a three-dimensional view to enhance users' understanding of their surroundings at any given moment.The 3D renderings generated by Gemini will include landmarks such as prominent buildings, road medians, and other environmental features visible to drivers, aiding them in orienting themselves more effectively during navigation.
Google asserts that its AI safeguards are now robust enough to prevent the Gemini technology behind Immersive Navigation from generating fictitious locations, a phenomenon known in the industry as 'hallucination.'
