Gemini AI To Transform Google Maps Into a More Conversational Experience (apnews.com)
- Reference: 0179977278
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/11/05/2254235/gemini-ai-to-transform-google-maps-into-a-more-conversational-experience
- Source link: https://apnews.com/article/google-maps-artificial-intelligence-conversational-0dee67a89daf7a0cf0e1c23e206cade3
> Google Maps is heading in a new direction with artificial intelligence sitting in the passenger's seat. Fueled by Google's Gemini AI technology, the world's most popular navigation app will become a more conversational companion as part of a redesign [1]announced Wednesday. The hands-free experience is meant to turn Google Maps into [2]something more like an insightful passenger able to direct a driver to a destination while also providing nearby recommendations on places to eat, shop or sightsee, when asked for the advice. "No fumbling required -- now you can just ask," Google promised in a blog post about the app makeover.
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> The AI features are also supposed to enable Google Maps to be more precise by calling out landmarks to denote the place to make a turn instead of relying on distance notifications. AI chatbots, like Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT, have sometimes lapsed into periods of making things up -- known as "hallucinations" in tech speak -- but Google is promising that built-in safeguards will prevent Maps from accidentally sending drivers down the wrong road. All the information that Gemini is drawing upon will be culled from the roughly 250 million places stored in Google Maps' database of reviews accumulated during the past 20 years. Google Maps' new AI capabilities will be rolling out to both Apple's iPhone and Android mobile devices.
[1] https://blog.google/products/maps/gemini-navigation-features-landmark-lens/
[2] https://apnews.com/article/google-maps-artificial-intelligence-conversational-0dee67a89daf7a0cf0e1c23e206cade3
\o/ (Score:1)
At last, if I have three stops to make and know the rough duration at each location and the starting time, there may be some hope of an optimized round trip taking into account traffic.
Welcome to the future!
Re: (Score:2)
> At last, if I have three stops to make and know the rough duration at each location and the starting time, there may be some hope of an optimized round trip taking into account traffic.
This sounds like a homework problem I was assigned ~ 25 years ago in my game theory class...
Re: \o/ (Score:1)
Awesome - hopefully you're posting from the Googleplex :-)
Why? (Score:2)
I keep asking their stupid AI to delete itself and it doesn't do what I asked it to do. Absolute worthless garbage.
Re: (Score:3)
And the enshittification continues . . .
Re: (Score:2)
[1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zrMykBnidM
The last thing I want (Score:4, Insightful)
The last thing I want out of a map is a "conversational experience,"
The conversation I want is:
ME: "Show me the map."
MAP: "Here."
Re: (Score:3)
Yeah, especially since I'm sure what'll change is verbal advertisements will start being injected.
"In 500m, near the Safeway, turn right. Safeway is currently offering a deal on diet soda - if you buy four or more Hungry Man TV Dinners, you can get a twelve pack of delicious Barqs Zero Sugar Root Beer for just $4.99! This offer is only good through Monday November 10... so hurry into your local Safeway!"
"Hungry? There's a Taco Bell coming up in 1.5 miles. Mention Gemini AI to get 15% off two orders of tasty
Re: The last thing I want (Score:2)
Thank you very much.. but I sense this crap is being crafted into your new best friend. As a matter of fact, I suspect it already is for tons, millions, probably hundreds of millions pf people. Its sci fi dystopia now. Wait til president vance gets his hands on peter theil's junk, er, software, er, service. That's gonna be worse than even chirpy cheerful advertising. The Hand Maiden's Tale territory. God bless Margaret Atwood for serving it up so so cold. Now we know what that looks like.
Re: (Score:2)
We are rapidly making [1]"to unlock drink verification can" [imgur.com] a reality.
[1] https://imgur.com/please-drink-verification-can-dgGvgKF
Re: The last thing I want (Score:2)
Map: where are places to legally dispersed car camp between the Ozark and Gila Nat'l Forests? Are there any?
YES! Finally! (Score:3)
I always hated it that when I said something like, "Hey Google! Navigate to the nearest gas station along my route" it would helpfully *show* me a map of all the gas station options, expecting me to tap on the one I want and then a few more taps to add it to my route. That's the opposite of hands-free operation while driving. I would want it to ask me clarifying questions, if it had some, or offer a few choices verbally and let me speak to choose the one I want.
It seems like this new update should be able to do that.
Re: YES! Finally! (Score:2)
The search along route feature needs serious investment. It's got problems.
Yes, and instead of fixing it... (Score:2)
They're just going to add AI and say you are too stupid to realize their genius of adding AI to the map is worth a trillion dollars.
The most popular question will be... (Score:3)
How can I turn it off?
Re: The most popular question will be... (Score:2)
Remember when cars had CD players?
Re: (Score:2)
My truckette still has a cassette player, you insensitive clod!
Re: (Score:2)
It's just a bit hard for me to believe that there is any amount of people actually asking for this.
Re: The most popular question will be... (Score:2)
Who asked for intrusive beeps on cars? Are Karens the majority now?
Have cars devolved in terms of no CD player (so you pay for Sirius XM)? Rather than listening to customers, do car companies simply shove things down consumers' throat? So why should AI be any different? Will you end up conforming because capitalism took away choice?
Re: (Score:2)
I think you can install an aftermarket CD player if you must have one. I'd say just rip your CDs to your favorite audio format, good your phone via BT and play the files on off your phone. I use VLC and playlist. Works great. Doesn't require internet and I get more then 12 songs without having to change disc. Of course, I'm sure you could even install a multi-disc CD player and load it with disc. I did this 25 years ago.
I don't miss fiddling with CDs at all.
Re: The most popular question will be... (Score:2)
New cars no longer have an aux input. There are no working Bluetooth CD players in existence.
If you want to play an actual physical CD, you are SOL on a new car.
AI Crapvertising (Score:2)
Maybe one day the makers of such things will understand AI needs to be completely optional and not rammed into everything. I do not wish helpful hints saying: "It's looks like you are driving down State Route 31, there is an awesome Mexican place on the left, why not stop for a Taco?" So, Apple maps isn't ideal, but it's (so far) uninfected with advertising.
Re: AI Crapvertising (Score:2)
Have you seen the 15 million credits episode of Black Mirror where you have to watch ads you don't pay to skip?
Google is Awful Already (Score:3)
Google is not reliable outside urban areas already. It has repeatedly taken "shortcuts" that were dirt roads and/or didn't actually connect. Even in urban areas there are problems. My favorite recently was our cabin at the end of road in Minnesota being identified in a popup as a spot over a thousand miles away in Nova Scotia that had the same name as the road its on.
For a long time people trying to find our house were directed into a dead end that leads to a narrow, overgrown alley that runs behind our lot. We assume its because our house is set back from the street in front. Although nowhere close to the alley.
AI will likely make things worse, but what we are really seeing is the downside to monopolies. There used to be a saying when Ma Bell controlled telephoines, "We don't care, we're the phone company." That is slowly applying to the entire tech industry.
Best thing ever for Google users everywhere (Score:2)
From TFA: "The hands-free experience is meant to turn Google Maps into something more like an insightful passenger able to direct a driver to a destination while also providing nearby recommendations on places to eat, shop or sightsee..."
English translation: "We encourage businesses on all major routes to contact us right now for priority placement on our list of 'recommendations'. Bring lots of cash. Maybe one of your children, also."
Why the hell would I want that? (Score:2)
It is a freaking MAP, not a conversation.
your two stupid (Score:2)
There genius is that they added AI. They added AI. What else do you need? It has AI. AI! Artificial Intelligence. It will be just like Star Trek. Where you talk to the computer, and the Romulans infiltrate the ship by tricking it into ignoring them, and then the warp core explodes and you die.
I can't wait (Score:1)
Me: Hey, Gemini. I need directions to the grocery store.
GG: Certainly. Here's a route to the pet store.
Me: I said GROCERY store, not pet store.
GG: My mistake. Let me fix that. Here are the correct directions to the pet store.
Me: I don't want to go to the dang pet store. I want to go to the grocery store.
GG: I understand your frustration. Please be patient. I'm still learning.
Me: Revert to the previous version of Google maps.
GG: I'm sorry, I can't do that Dave.
Me: My name's not Dave!
NO! (Score:2)
Maps is broken enough as it is. I can no longer use it as a GPS-helper or anything for that matter as it crashes all the time and less than 50% of the screen on my phone is the actual map. This is just adding insult to injury.
Re: (Score:2)
You might have a bigger issue than just Google Maps. I've used it for years on multiple devices, and never experienced these frequent crashes.
Re: (Score:2)
It happens on both my phones and my wife's phones as well. Check its resource needs in the browser and do a little performance profiling and you will see how bloated and bad it is. Are you not a developer?
Re: (Score:2)
Yes indeed, I'm a developer, and I have cheap Android phones (Moto G, less than $200 unlocked). Google Navigation may take a substantial amount of resources, but I can't remember it ever crashing.