is transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State.
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Google is continuing to weave Gemini into the firmament of its most-used products. Today, it announced that Google Maps was getting a new AI-powered “Ask Maps” feature that allows for “complex, real-world questions” with highly detailed, personalized responses.
In the past, Google Maps would struggle with hyper-specific questions like “where can I charge my phone without having to wait in line for coffee” or “where is the closest public bathroom that isn’t completely disgusting” (parents of kids with tiny bladders, I’m looking at you). But now, thanks to Gemini, all our weird, slightly embarrassing questions can be answered — directions included.
Ask Maps lets you describe your plans conversationally, including as much or as little detail as you want, and Gemini will sift through your query to provide as detailed a response as you need, often using personal details you’ve provided through your past interactions with Google Maps.
In a briefing with reporters, Google product manager Andrew Duchi used this example: “I have some friends coming from Midtown East to meet me after work. Can you find us a spot between the office and Midtown East that’s vegetarian, has a cozy aesthetic, and a table for four at seven o’clock tonight?” (I’m not sure Google Maps cares that much about your evening plans, but I digress.)
Using Gemini, Maps would then provide a number of examples, analyzing user-submitted reviews and photos to pull data about the aesthetics or general busyness of possible locations. If there are places you’ve favorited or interacted with in the past, they might appear in the reply as well. And if you like what you see, Ask Maps will go one step further and book a table for you with just a single tap.
”It’s personalized for you and lets you turn those plans into action,” Duchi said. “Less scrolling, more strolling.”
The responses Gemini spits out will rely solely on data from Google Maps and not any information from other Google apps, like Gmail, said Miriam Daniel, VP and general manager for Google Maps. When responses are personalized, the information will be based on previous searches within Maps or Google Search that are relevant to locations users have saved in Maps or places they have favorited or added to lists, she said.
Asked whether Google plans to allow businesses such as restaurants or hotels to pay for prominent placement in AI-generated itineraries or recommendations, Duchi deflected, saying he couldn’t speculate about long-term monetization plans. He did say that currently paid placements won’t influence which locations appear in Ask Maps recommendations.
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