Google Maps Testing AI Generated Answers For Local Guide Questions

Google announced it is testing generative AI technology to answer local specific questions within Google Maps. “Starting in the U.S., this early access experiment launches this week to select Local Guides, who are some of the most active and passionate members of the Maps community,” Google wrote.

Google’s language models can now analyze Google “Maps information about more than 250 million places and trusted insights from our community of over 300 million contributors to quickly make suggestions for where to go.”

Google is calling this an “experimental” feature…

Here is how it works, you ask it a question and Google will respond with categories such as clothing stores, vinyl shops and flea markets or whatever is based on your query. Google will show photo carousels and review summaries that highlight why a place might be interesting for you to visit, the company announced.

Here is a GIF of it in action:

This seems like a good use of this generative AI technology. No?

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