- Google brings Gemini to Maps, paving the way for smarter navigation.
- Users will be able to ask questions and get conversational responses.
- Drivers will also find enhanced notifications about turns and delays.
When returning home from the airport on Monday night, Google Maps gave me a helpful hint. It almost went by unnoticed, but the popular navigation app told me to turn left after the gas station.
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The feature was quietly rolled out recently and ushers in an era of landmark-based navigation. As Google noted, we’ve all heard “turn right in 500 feet,” but those distances can be hard to judge. This means you could be looking at your smartphone instead of where you’re supposed to be turning.
The company is now addressing this by embracing landmarks that stand out on your route. This includes gas stations, restaurants, and prominent buildings, which should be easy to recognize while you’re driving.
The new feature is powered by Gemini, which analyses information about 250 million places and then cross-references it with Street View images to “curate the most useful landmarks visible from the street.” This means you can focus on driving as you’ll be told something along the lines of “turn right after the Thai Siam restaurant.”
Gemini Supercharges Maps And Navigation
While landmark-based navigation is a helpful addition, it’s just the tip of the iceberg as Google Maps is integrating Gemini to make navigating easier and more conversational. As the company explained in a media briefing yesterday, users will be able to say “Hey, Google” and ask anything they want.
This could range from “Is there a budget-friendly restaurant with vegan options along my route, something within a couple miles?” to “What’s the parking situation like at my destination?” In response to the latter, Gemini could look up nearby parking garages and navigate to one of them.
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Users aren’t limited to navigation-related inquiries, as you can ask how your favorite team played last night or add appointments to your calendar with your voice. Gemini can also look up information about restaurants and tell you about their most popular dishes.
Google officials described the technology as being a bit like having a “local expert” in your front seat, as it combines Gemini with Maps information as well as data from “reliable” web sources. The tech giant also suggested users shouldn’t have to worry about AI hallucinations.
Gemini will also help to make Google Maps better for everyone, as users will be able to more easily report traffic issues. As an example, drivers will be able to say “I see an accident” or “There’s a slowdown.”
Gemini In Navigation is coming to Google Maps for Android and iOS in the coming weeks, while an Android Auto launch is “on the way.”
Proactive Traffic Alerts
Another cool addition is proactive driving alerts. If you’re simply driving around town, there’s a good chance you might not be using Google Maps for navigation, as you already know where you’re going.
While that would normally leave drivers in the dark, an update rolling out now will warn you of issues even when you’re not using navigation. If there’s a traffic jam or accident ahead, a notification will pop up and alert you.
Users can then open the notification to learn more about the incident and get a rough estimate of how much of a delay it will cause. Thanks to the heads up, drivers can seek another route to avoid a traffic jam and an unexpected delay.
Lens Built With Gemini
Once you exit your vehicle, you can still use Gemini and Google Maps to learn about your surroundings. By clicking on the camera icon in the search bar, you’ll be able to identify businesses and famous landmarks, and ask questions about them.
Gemini can tell you why a restaurant is popular, including what they specialize in. Users can also ask “What’s the vibe inside?” to get a summarized response that explains what the atmosphere is like.
Lens Built With Gemini will begin rolling out later this month in the United States.
While the updates are pretty diverse, they’re designed to make Google Maps smarter and more powerful. Users will also find a more conversational and natural language experience, which is designed to feel like you’re talking to a friend.
