Google Maps Announces Food Ordering Feature
But the feature doesn't work as expected yet.
1New AI Features for Google Maps
Google has added new artificial intelligence features to its popular navigation app, Maps. The 'Ask Maps' feature allows users to search for restaurants, hotels, and events using natural language. Announced in March, the feature works integrated with Google's Gemini AI model. Users can find restaurants that can accommodate six people at a specific date and time while meeting dietary restrictions.
2Food Ordering Capability
Google announced that Ask Maps can now handle complex, multi-step tasks. Among these features, the most notable is the ability to place food orders. Users can give commands like 'Order spicy pad kee mao with seafood for me to pick up on my way home.' The system scans open restaurants along the user's route and considers previous orders and dietary needs.
3Limitations in the Ordering Process
However, Ask Maps doesn't work fully autonomously yet. While the system shows restaurant options, the final selection must be made by the user. After selection, the system begins creating the order through services like Square and Toast, with Uber Eats support coming soon. But user intervention is still required to review and confirm the order before it's sent to the restaurant.
4Hotel and Event Search
The Ask Maps update isn't limited to food ordering. Users can also make complex queries about hotels and local events. For example, they can request 'Find me a decently priced, top-rated hotel with an artsy vibe within walking distance from a gym and restaurants for my conference in Miami.' The system compares prices and availability to show suitable options.
5Personalized Results
The update also integrates Google's 'Personal Intelligence' feature into Maps. This feature pulls information from other Google apps like Gmail and Calendar to provide more personalized results. For instance, when asked 'Find me things to do before my afternoon flight,' the system can access flight details to deliver more tailored suggestions than a simple search would.
6Transit and Editing Features
The update includes a new live data widget for transit instructions, allowing users to track public transportation information in real time. Additionally, users can now suggest Google Maps edits conversationally through Ask Maps, including submitting photo attachments for potential updates to the map data.
7The Limits of AI
Google's new features raise important questions about how much AI can truly simplify our daily tasks. While the current implementation might save the 30 seconds it takes to build a restaurant order, user intervention is still required at multiple stages of the process. In some cases, traditional ordering methods might prove more efficient, especially when dealing with complex dietary restrictions that users may hesitate to trust to AI.
8The Future of AI Vision
Companies like Google promise that AI will save us from tedious, menial tasks. However, the current Ask Maps features demonstrate that this vision is still in its early stages. In a world where users expect full autonomy, these features fall short. It remains to be seen how Google will develop these capabilities in the coming period and whether they can deliver truly time-saving solutions that live up to the hype.
Original article: Lifehacker — Google Maps Yemek Siparişi Özelliğini Duyurdu