You’ve finally found a day the whole crew can hang out. The problem? Everyone has different preferences: one friend’s vegan, another won’t venture uptown, and one has a dog that never leaves their side. With so much to consider, you’re going to need help figuring out the perfect place to go.
Today, we’re introducing a novel method for discovering places with generative AI to help you do exactly that — no matter how specific, niche or broad your needs might be. Simply express what you’re looking for and our large-language models (LLMs) will examine Maps’ comprehensive information about more than 250 million places and trusted insights from our community of over 300 million contributors to swiftly provide suggestions for where to go.
Commencing in the U.S., this early access experiment launches this week to select Local Guides, who are some of the most active and passionate members of the Maps community. Their insights and valuable feedback will help us shape this feature so we can make it available to everyone over time.
An innovative way to find places with generative AI
Let’s assume you’re visiting San Francisco and want to plan a few hours of thrift shopping for unique vintage finds. Simply ask Maps what you’re looking for, such as “places with a vintage vibe in SF.” Our AI models will analyze Maps’ extensive information about nearby businesses and places, in addition to photos, ratings and reviews from the Maps community to provide you with reliable suggestions.
You’ll see results organized into useful categories — like clothing stores, vinyl shops and flea markets — along with photo carousels and brief summaries of reviews that highlight why a place might be worth visiting.
Perhaps you also want to grab a meal somewhere that maintains those vintage vibes. Continue the conversation with a follow-up question like “How about lunch?” Maps will recommend places that match the vintage vibe you’re looking for, such as an old-fashioned diner nearby. From there, you can save the places to a list to stay organized, share with friends or revisit in the future.
