Google’s generative AI push continues, this time with Google Maps. The app has now been sprinkled with artificial intelligence, but there’s a problem: These new features, for now, are only available to “select local guides” in the United States.
If you’re one of those lucky people, you can now use generative AI in Maps to help you discover places, whatever your specific needs. Simply say what you’re looking for in plain language, and Google’s language models will parse Maps’ database of places to give you an answer.
Google says that “insights and valuable feedback” from Local Guides will help shape the feature before it releases more widely, so consider it a sort of closed beta for now.
In its official announcement post, Google provides this example of how you might use the new feature: Simply say “places with a vintage vibe in San Francisco” and you’ll be presented with “rich information” about nearby businesses and places, complete with photos, ratings and reviews from the Maps community.
The results are organized into categories and come with photo carousels and review summaries that highlight why a place might interest you based on your query. After you ask something, you can continue the conversation with a follow-up question without repeating anything, then you can move straight to “how about lunch?” in the example cited above. Then you will find places that match the atmosphere you were looking for.
Of course you can save all the places that are recommended to you in this way or share them with friends. The sky’s the limit, as they say, as far as what you can ask for, which is what can potentially make this feature very useful once it’s perfected and made available to everyone.
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