Google Maps New AI-Powered Features To Enhance User Experience in India

Google Maps announced plans to significantly improve the user experience of its popular mapping service in India through new artificial intelligence-driven innovations.

In a blog post, Miriam Daniel, VP & GM of Google Maps, wrote that AI has played a vital role in mapping millions of roads and buildings across India over the past decade. It now powers over 50 million daily searches and more than 2.5 billion kilometres of driving directions. AI capabilities have also helped Google Maps list over 30 million local businesses, connecting Indian consumers to opportunities in their communities. It includes nearly 1 billion connections each month between users and companies.

Google has outlined three focus areas for Maps - enriching maps with more Indian content, enhancing visual navigation, and better supporting diverse transportation needs.

One new feature utilizes AI to analyze address descriptions commonly used by Indians and add relevant landmarks to pinned locations. Starting next year, when sharing an address, users will see up to five familiar references to help others locate it more intuitively.

Live View augmented reality walking directions are also coming to over 3,000 cities and towns. It aims to simplify walking navigation by overlaying navigational cues on a live camera view.

Additionally, fuel-efficient routing for cars and motorcycles will launch in January, calculating the most energy-saving routes based on vehicle type and real-time traffic. Google claims that since 2021, this feature has avoided over 2 million tons of carbon emissions globally.

Google Maps is also partnering with organizations like ONDC and mobility apps to digitize public transportation booking and schedules across various Indian cities.