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Google announced a major redesign overhaul focusing more heavily on artificial intelligence to help users determine where they want to go and the best route to take on Thursday (March 12), ABC News reports.
The overhaul, which is powered by Google's Gemini technology, will include two AI features, one tool called Ask Maps that expands conversational abilities introduced last November to give suggestions for users looking for specific things such as locations to charge devices or stops on a road trip and another dubbed Immersive Navigation, which will present a three-dimensional perspective designed to give a better view of where they are in the moment.
The 3D renderings created by Gemini will reportedly include notable landmarks, road medians and other aspects that are aimed to help drivers get a better idea of their surroundings. Google executives declined to answer whether the company planned to eventually sell ads to boost businesses' chances of being displayed prominently in Ask Maps' recommendations.
The company said its AI guardrails are now strong enough to stop Gemini from suggesting fake locations, which has been dubbed as a "hallucination" function within the industry. Immersive Navigation is aimed to help Google Maps better explain the pros and cons of different routes, as well as suggest the best places to park once the driver reaches their destination.
The new AI-powered navigation redesign will be available through Google Maps' mobile app, as well as in vehicles equipped with the options to activate CarPlay and Android Auto