If there are one app in recent times that has revolutionized our world, it is “Google Maps”. It offers a variety of features such as turn-by-turn directions, street view, and public transit information.
Google Maps’ AI-Powered Revolution
Google Maps achieved what might have seemed like a fiction to older generation by leveraging technologies like satellite imagery, street view cameras, machine learning, GIS and other data collection and processing techniques.
The Google Maps, which is amazing as is, is now adding new AI-powered features on Maps in India including AI-powered summaries, the ability to search for experiences, and weather alerts.
The company said that the Maps shall analyse reviews as well as show summaries of the places. It was it its India event that the Google made this announcement on Thursday.
AI-Powered Personal Guide
In addition to existing capabilities, users will be able to search for items and experiences on Maps — such as requesting “unique picnic spots” or “themed birthday cakes”, to find cake sellers.
The company said that when such queries are asked by people, Google Maps will show an image-first experience which prioritizes displaying photos that businesses and users have uploaded, the company said.
The company has employed image recognition to associate labels or descriptions of places with such queries. There shall be new weather alerts for low-visibility areas due to fog and flooded roads while navigating.
It would be starting next month that these bundle of new features will be rolled out to users in India. AI-powered review summaries already debuted on Maps in the U.S. back in February. Google’s competitor, Yelp, also shows summaries of businesses on its revamped feed in the U.S.
In July, Google added a range of India-specific features for Maps, including better navigation guidance, better navigation of flyovers (overpasses) and narrow roads, EV charging stations, and community-powered lists for place discovery in select cities.
