Google Maps is turning to artificial intelligence to help people figure out where they want to go and how to get there in what it says is its “biggest navigation upgrade in over a decade”.

The overhaul driven by Google’s Gemini technology will introduce two AI features into the digital mapping service used by more than two billion people worldwide.

One tool called Ask Maps will expand upon conversational abilities that Google brought to the service last November. It gives suggestions to users looking for things such as nearby places to charge their devices, cafes with short lines or a detailed itinerary for a road trip involving several stops and excursions.

Gemini’s recommendations will draw upon a database spanning more than 300 million places and reviews from more than 500 million contributors that have been accumulated since Google Maps’ debut more than 20 years ago.

“If you’re planning a trip, just ask: ‘I’m headed to the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and Coral Dunes — any recommended stops along the way?’. You’ll get clear directions, ETAs, and insider tips from real people, like how to find a hidden hiking trail or get a free entry ticket,” Google said.

Google product manager Andrew Duchi said Ask Maps could be highly personalised. As an example, he offered this request: “I have some friends coming from Midtown East to meet me after work. Can you find us a spot between the office and Midtown East that’s vegetarian, has a cosy aesthetic, and a table for four at seven o’clock tonight?”

Maps will then use Gemini to provide examples and analyse reviews and photos to come up with recommendations. If the user likes what they see, Ask Maps will go one step further and book a table with just a single tap.

”It’s personalised for you and lets you turn those plans into action,” Duchi said. “Less scrolling, more strolling.”

Google executives declined to say if the company planned to eventually sell ads to boost businesses’ chances of being displayed in Ask Maps’ recommendations.

Ask Maps initially will be available on Google Maps’ mobile app for iPhones and Android in the US and India, before expanding to personal computers and other countries.

The other new tool is being billed by Google executives as the biggest change to the maps’ driving directions. Gemini has created Immersive Navigation, which will present a three-dimensional perspective designed to give users a better grasp of where they are at any moment in time.

“Your map comes to life with a vivid 3D view that reflects the buildings, overpasses, and terrain around you. When it’s helpful, Maps will highlight critical road details like lanes, [pedestrian crossings], traffic lights and stop signs to help you make that turn or merge confidently,” Google said.

The tech giant believes its AI guardrails are strong enough to prevent the Gemini technology underlying Immersive Navigation from fabricating bogus places to go, a malfunction known within the industry as a “hallucination”.

Immersive Navigation is also supposed to help Google Maps more clearly explain the pros and cons of different routes to the same recommendation, as well as point to the best places to park on arrival.

The new AI-powered navigation will be available only in the US initially, on Google Maps’ mobile app for the iPhone and Android, as well as cars equipped with options to activate CarPlay and Android Auto.

-with AAP