Google Maps is getting a major AI-driven overhaul, the company announced Thursday, introducing two new tools powered by its Gemini technology to enhance navigation and discovery for its 2 billion global users.
One tool, called Ask Maps, expands conversational capabilities the service added in November. It will offer suggestions for nearby electric vehicle charging stations, cafes with shorter lines, or detailed road trip itineraries with multiple stops. The recommendations draw from a database covering more than 300 million places and over 500 million contributor reviews collected since Maps launched more than 20 years ago.
A second feature, Immersive Navigation, provides a three-dimensional perspective designed to help users better understand their surroundings while driving. The tool will display landmarks, highway medians, and terrain elements that drivers see around them, allowing for quicker orientation. It will also explain the pros and cons of different driving routes and highlight optimal parking spots upon arrival.
Google executives declined to say whether the company plans to sell ads to influence Ask Maps recommendations.
Ask Maps will launch first on the mobile app for iPhone and Android in the United States and India, with expansion to desktop and other countries planned. Immersive Navigation will initially roll out only in the US on mobile devices and in cars equipped with CarPlay and Android Auto.
The increased AI reliance follows Google’s recent integration of Gemini into Gmail and Chrome to make those services more proactive. The updates underscore Google’s confidence in its Gemini 3 model, released late last year, as competition in the AI sector intensifies with rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic.
This story was produced from an Associated Press report.