The new feature will first be accessible to Google's Local Guides community, a group of contributors who write reviews, share photos, and provide other information on Google Maps. The company plans to open the feature to other users at a later date. The AI's responses are expected to be more conversational, similar to a chatbot, rather than just providing a list of places in order of proximity.
Key takeaways:
- Google is integrating generative AI into Google Maps to help users find interesting places by analyzing detailed information about over 250 million places and insights from a community of over 300 million contributors.
- The feature will initially be available in the US, with plans to expand to other countries, although no timeline has been provided.
- The AI feature will initially be accessible only to Google's Local Guides community of contributors, with plans to open it up to other users at a later date.
- The AI-powered feature aims to provide more conversational, personalized recommendations rather than just a list of places in order of proximity.