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Google Maps experiments with generative AI to improve discovery

Google Maps is introducing a generative AI feature to help you discover new places, the company announced today. Using large language models (LLMs), the Google Maps is introducing a generative AI feature to help you discover new places.

If you ask a follow-up question like “How about lunch?” the AI will take your previous interest in vintage and find restaurants that meet the criteria, such as an old-school diner. The early access experiment is rolling out this week in the U.S. and will be available to select Local Guides, Google’s community of members that contribute reviews, facts and photos on Maps to help other users with detailed information about different locations. In October, Google updated Maps to be more like a search tool, introducing various AI-powered features like photo results and the ability to suggest specific places when entering vague queries like “things to do.” The new generative AI feature looks to be the next step in Maps’ journey to becoming a destination for discovering new places rather than only using it for navigation.

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