Google Maps Adds Gemini AI-Powered 'Ask Maps' Feature and 3D Immersive Navigation

[MacRumors]

Google today added Gemini AI to Google Maps, enabling a new Ask Maps feature. Gemini in maps can answer complex, real-world questions that Google says "a map could never answer before."

There is a new Ask Maps button where Google Maps users can get answers to specific questions like "is there a public tennis court with lights on that I can play at tonight?" Google says that finding information like that would have taken a lot of sifting through reviews in the past, but now Google Maps can provide an answer with a custom map.

The feature can be used for trip planning, and it is able to provide tailored responses based on prior searches or saved information in the app. Google Maps can build a trip itinerary using information from more than 300 million places, including reviews from the Google community.

Along with Ask Maps, Google also introduced Immersive Navigation, which Google says is the biggest update to driving in Google Maps in over a decade. There is a 3D view that displays buildings, overpasses, and terrain, and Google Maps will highlight important road details like lanes, crosswalks, traffic lights, and stop signs when providing directions.

Google says that the app will have a new spatial understanding of the route that it's providing, which is made possible with Gemini models. Gemini analyzes real-world imagery from Street View and aerial photos to provide new details.

The updated navigation provides a broader route view with more information about what's coming ahead, more details about tradeoffs with alternate routes, and route previews for planning parking and other actions.

Ask Maps is rolling out in the U.S. and India on iOS and Android, with the feature set to expand to the desktop version of Google Maps soon. Immersive Navigation is rolling out in the U.S. today, though not all users will see it at first. Google says availability will expand over the coming months to eligible iOS and Android devices, plus CarPlay and Android Auto.

Article Link: Google Maps Adds Gemini AI-Powered 'Ask Maps' Feature and 3D Immersive Navigation

 

[tennisproha]

Apple Maps 3D navigation with lane guidance is so so good. Gonna be hard to match. The only issue is lane guidance data needs to be better, especially after never ending construction changes.

 

[Zc456]

"We're going to compliment this really cool feature with something completely unrelated."

 

[letsGoOn2]

looks like you would immerse your vehicle into the building if you followed the path shown in the map. but it would have to be a flying car and at least the last I checked we don't have those yet.

 

[hagar]

As long as Apple doesn’t have a thriving community to fix maps errors and report road works and accidents, it’s never going to match Google Maps. At least not in Europe.

(This coming from a Apple Maps user)

 

[hieranonymous]

Yay, more enslopification.

 

[funkright]

Apple Maps is good, but it isn't Google Maps, not even close, not yet. We may use it for road navigation on longer road trips, but in the city and walking around is where, for us, Google Maps outshines Apple's iteration.

 

[DribbleCastle]

Will this mean that Google Maps won't be hot trash in Carplay? Same goes for Apple Maps. Carplay is terrible compared to Android Auto and I've been a primary user of the iPhone since day one. I have an Android phone in my car just to be able to pinch and zoom maps. This is more Apple's fault, btw.

 

[ifxf]

Google is adding AI everywhere while Apple is two years late and counting in adding it to Siri.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Hmm I do use Google Maps with CarPlay but haven't come across the Immersion Navigation feature as yet. Could it be that the 13 Mini doesn't support it? Actually, never mind. Just read the AI powered bit.

 

[Artemiz]

Google is adding AI everywhere while Apple is two years late and counting in adding it to Siri.

AI is overrated.

I had to correct Gemini five times while just trying to get it to say how to use these new features. And it still wasn’t accurate.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Say what we want about Google & Gemini ...

Apple Intelligence in Maps would probably take you on a closed road and off an abandoned bridge.

 

[mikeack]

I've had the Ask Maps feature for a few weeks now and it's actually been pretty handy. My partner is vegan and it being able to pull info from reviews has been really helpful.

Ninja edit: I still use Apple Maps for all of my navigation. Can we do something about Yelp being it's image and review source?

 

[WarmWinterHat]

I've had the Ask Maps feature for a few weeks now and it's actually been pretty handy. My partner is vegan and it being able to pull info from reviews has been really helpful.

Ninja edit: I still use Apple Maps for all of my navigation. Can we do something about Yelp being it's image and review source?

Yelp is borderline worthless. Yea, it was popular...15 years ago, which is the last time I left a review. It was Seva in Ann Arbor.

Some of the local business here have zero Yelp reviews, and they aren't new places.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Yelp is borderline worthless. Yea, it was popular...15 years ago, which is the last time I left a review. It was Seva in Ann Arbor.

Some of the local business here have zero Yelp reviews, and they aren't new places.

Even worse, they seem to filter/delete/moderate reviews that aren't quite positive enough. I've never been able to figure out if they do that on their own, at the request of a business or ... perhaps for a fee to the business.

Yelp is a SUPER GARBAGE company.
Like as scammy and scummy as it gets.

 

[tennisproha]

As long as Apple doesn’t have a thriving community to fix maps errors and report road works and accidents, it’s never going to match Google Maps. At least not in Europe.

(This coming from a Apple Maps user)

The problem is Apple Maps support is non-existent. I've repeatedly reported route and navigation issues for years and most of them are still not fixed.

 

[ethanwa79]

AI is overrated.

I had to correct Gemini five times while just trying to get it to say how to use these new features. And it still wasn’t accurate.

It won't be this way for much longer.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Even worse, they seem to filter/delete/moderate reviews that aren't quite positive enough. I've never been able to figure out if they do that on their own, at the request of a business or ... perhaps for a fee to the business.

Yelp is a SUPER GARBAGE company.
Like as scammy and scummy as it gets.

They had my current residence, in Yelp, set as as the township accessors office. The previous owner had the position several years ago, and it's a work-from-home thing, so they associated her government office with my house. It took two years of arguing with them to get it removed. Came up when someone showed up at the house.

Just venting. They really are a scammy company, and its sad that Apple is doing business with them.

 

[MallardDuck]

I really hope apple lets us integrate ChatGPT with apple maps, and doesn't force us to use their google-backed AI - both because I really don't want to use anything from google like that, and also because my testing with Gemini shows it to be vastly inferior to ChatGPT (it hallucinates and drifts a lot more)

 

[turbineseaplane]

It won't be this way for much longer.

Reminds of "wen moon?" related to crypto
🤣

 

[Mousse]

Google is adding AI everywhere while Apple is two years late and counting in adding it to Siri.

Some of us are trying to limit AI in our lives as much as possible. If it gives me multiple suggestions, I might find it useful. Giving me only one suggestion tells me AI wants to dictate what I should do, which often ends up being the stupid thing to do.

The day AI reaches Star Trek level of competence is the day I will find it useful. Star Trek AI == saged village elder. Today's AI == village idiot.

 

[Kylo83]

I wish Waze would add this

 

[jz0309]

when I read about those new "features" I do miss the old days where you had a printed map and maybe some travel guide (book) and then explore on your own ...

 

[mikebenton]

"Hey, Google - where should I eat lunch today?" And then Google: "You should navigate over to Bob's BarBQ" (Since they gave us $5k in advertising this month). Also Google: you should advertise with us, as we have implemented new AI features that will bring you more customers.

 

[cmiller4642]

Sweet it'll track you while you're driving and send you intrusive notifications based on where you frequently drive by. Then Facebook will pick up on your Google shared data and show you content from the stores you drive by on the way to work.

AI could change the world for the better but nope it's a 24/7 advertisement algorithm.