Google is rolling out a major redesign of Maps that leans on its Gemini AI to sharpen search and navigation for more than 2 billion users. A new Ask Maps feature offers conversational recommendations—everything from cafés with short lines to multi-stop road-trip itineraries—drawing on data for 300 million places and input from 500 million contributors. A second feature, Immersive Navigation, renders 3D, landmark-rich guidance to help drivers orient themselves and compare routes, with parking suggestions at the destination. Ask Maps debuts on iOS and Android in the U.S. and India, while the AI-driven navigation launches first in the U.S. on mobile and in vehicles via CarPlay and Android Auto. Google says updated guardrails address AI “hallucinations.” Executives declined to say whether sponsored placements will figure into Ask Maps, as the company extends Gemini 3 across flagship products amid intensifying competition from OpenAI and Anthropic.
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