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google is adding Gemini AI technology to new features in its mapping services as it integrates its artificial intelligence tools deeper into its broader product portfolio.
Miriam Daniel, vice president of Google Maps, said in a blog post Thursday that the new button, called “Ask Maps,” will feature a chatbot that allows users to ask complex questions outside of typical navigation topics.
Users can now ask questions like, “My phone isn’t working. Where can I charge it without waiting in a long line to get coffee?” or “Are there any public tennis courts with lights that I can play on tonight?”
Results will be personalized based on your previous searches and saved trips on Google Maps, “making it easy to put your plans into action,” the company says.
“Google Maps is fundamentally changing what you can do with maps,” the company said in a blog post. “By combining the world’s most up-to-date maps with our most capable Gemini models, we’re turning exploration into easy conversation and making driving more intuitive than ever with the biggest navigation upgrade in over a decade.”
Google is adding more AI to its mapping service as part of a broader effort to differentiate Gemini from potential competitors and keep users on its products longer. Google Maps, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, is the world’s top navigation app with over 2 billion monthly users.
Ask Maps begins rolling out on Android in the US and India on Thursday. apple’s iOS and desktop versions will also be coming soon, the company said.
Google staffers who met with reporters ahead of the announcement said the company is not including ads in the feature but has not ruled out future possibilities.
“Right now, we’re very focused on delivering this to our users and providing them with a great experience,” said Andrew Duchi, director of product management at Google.
Google Maps primarily makes money by selling advertising and promotional placements to businesses. It also charges companies for access to its Maps API and location data.
Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak told CNBC that Google hasn’t generated revenue from maps, which has historically been one of the search giant’s least monetized products. The division is working to increase revenue, including by licensing new sets of map data that companies can use to build products around renewable energy.
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