Google has expanded the integration of its Gemini AI assistant into Google Maps, allowing users to access real-time AI-powered assistance while navigating on foot or by bicycle.
The update enables users who are walking or cycling with Google Maps to ask Gemini contextual questions based on their location. These include queries such as identifying the neighbourhood they are currently in, discovering top-rated restaurants nearby, or learning more about points of interest along their route.
The move builds on Google’s broader push to embed generative AI more deeply into its core consumer products. By extending Gemini beyond driving navigation, Google is positioning Maps as a more interactive, location-aware companion for everyday movement, particularly in dense urban environments where walking and cycling are common.
Gemini’s integration allows Maps to interpret real-time location data and respond conversationally, reducing the need for users to manually search or switch between apps while on the move. This hands-free, context-driven approach is expected to be especially useful for tourists, commuters, and cyclists navigating unfamiliar areas.
The feature reflects a growing trend among major tech firms to blend AI assistants directly into utility apps, transforming them from passive tools into proactive guides. For Google, it also strengthens Gemini’s role as a central layer across its ecosystem, competing more directly with AI assistants embedded in rival platforms.
The rollout reflect Google’s strategy of using AI to enhance discovery, local search, and navigation, while keeping users engaged within its services as competition in AI-powered consumer experiences intensifies.
