Google expands Ask Maps in India with major AI-powered overhaul: What's changed
Google has announced a significant expansion of its AI-powered Ask Maps experience in India, adding Hindi language support, live public transport updates and new personalisation
Google has announced a significant expansion of its AI-powered Ask Maps experience in India, adding Hindi language support, live public transport updates and new personalisation features designed to make navigation and local discovery more intuitive. Google's Ask Maps gets a major AI boost in India: Here's what's new The latest update builds on Ask Maps, a conversational feature powered by Google's Gemini AI models that enables users to ask complex, real-world questions in natural language rather than relying on traditional keyword-based searches. The company describes Ask Maps as the biggest transformation to Google Maps in more than a decade, combining AI capabilities with its extensive mapping database to deliver contextual recommendations and travel guidance. Also Read | Dabur says India business unaffected after USFDA warning With the new rollout, users in India can now interact with Ask Maps in Hindi.
Google said the feature will understand and respond naturally in the language, making it easier for users to discover places, plan journeys and obtain local insights without switching to English. The addition is expected to make the service more accessible to a broader segment of Indian users. The company has also introduced Personal Intelligence, an optional feature that allows users to securely connect Ask Maps with Gmail, with support for additional Google apps, including Calendar, planned in the future. Once enabled, the feature can automatically consider information such as hotel bookings, flight itineraries or dinner reservations when generating recommendations. For example, a traveller with a hotel reservation stored in Gmail can ask Ask Maps for suggestions on how to spend a few hours before a scheduled flight.
The service can recommend nearby attractions or restaurants based on the booking while also providing guidance on when to leave for the airport. Google said the integration is designed to reduce the need for users to repeatedly explain their existing plans. Ask Maps is also gaining the ability to resume previous conversations. Users who have enabled conversation history can return to earlier travel-planning sessions by asking the service to recall past recommendations, eliminating the need to start searches from scratch. Another major addition is real-time information across multiple categories. Ask Maps can now provide up-to-date details on road traffic, weather conditions and crowd levels at shops, restaurants and other public places, helping users make more informed decisions before leaving home. The platform already uses Google's vast database of mapping information, reviews and live location signals to generate its responses.
The BriefWire