Google Maps adds agentic features, including food ordering and hotel bookings
Google announced on Thursday that Google Mapsâ âAsk Mapsâ feature is gaining a slew of new agentic capabilities, including the ability to order food, book
Google announced on Thursday that Google Mapsâ âAsk Mapsâ feature is gaining a slew of new agentic capabilities, including the ability to order food, book hotels, and find event tickets. The tech giant is also bringing Personal Intelligence to Ask Maps, allowing the AI tool to personalize its responses by drawing on information from a userâs Gmail and Google Calendar. The launch of the new features reflects Googleâs ambitions to transform Google Maps from a navigation tool into an assistant thatâs capable of helping users complete real-world tasks. With the new agentic food ordering capabilities, users can open Ask Maps in Google Maps and ask a question like, âWhere can I order vegan avocado toast and an oat milk latte near home?â The tool will then surface nearby restaurants that have what theyâre looking for.
After selecting a restaurant, users can tap the âOrder onlineâ option to place an order through supported platforms such as Square, Toast, or Uber Eats. Ask Maps will add the items to a cart. Users can choose to add more items to their cart, then pay for the order on the supported platform. Additionally, users can use Ask Maps to find a hotel for their next trip by entering a query like, âFor next weekendâs conference in downtown Miami, find me a decently priced, top-rated hotel with an artsy vibe within walking distance from a gym and restaurants.â Ask Maps will then compare prices and check availability before providing a list of options. Once users find an option they like, they can click through to the partnerâs website to book the stay.
Users can also ask questions like âwhat are some comedy shows or live music this evening near workâ to get a list of options along with links to buy tickets. The new agentic features are rolling out to users in the U.S. With the addition of Personal Intelligence, Ask Maps will be able to give users personalized answers to their questions about upcoming flights, dinner reservations, hotels, and more. For example, users could ask, âWhat time will I land in Vancouver on my upcoming flight?â or âCan you recommend where to eat and what to do near my hotel?â Ask Maps will then pull information from a userâs emails and calendar to provide tailored responses. Itâs worth noting that Personal Intelligence is off by default.
Ask Maps will now also remember prior conversations, allowing users to pick up where they left off. Now, users can ask things like, âWhat activities had you suggested for my trip to Seattle?â and continue planning without having to start from scratch. Google is also launching a live transit widget in Ask Maps that will allow users to stay up to date on delays and conditions as they change in real time. Personal Intelligence and the live transit widget in Ask Maps are rolling out to all markets where Ask Maps is available.
