Google Maps turns 20, adds AI features, new countries beat Apple

Twenty years ago, Google co-founder Larry Page had an idea that would forever change the way we navigate the world.

“Larry drove down some of these roads with a video camera and handed it to someone and said, ‘Hey, what can we do with this?'” said Maria Biggs, Street View technical program manager. .

In a car equipped with the latest Street View cameras, Biggs drove CNBC near Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters. First introduced in 2022, this camera is the first camera model that can be added to any vehicle rather than being built into the vehicle.

“We’re going to Hawaii with these next-generation camera systems so we don’t have to transport the whole car,” Biggs said. “We can ship the camera system in a box and rent a car when we get there.”

Biggs said the new technology will allow Google to update data for some locations for the first time in a decade.

“We can now easily move these cameras around, giving us a fresher look at the map,” she said.

Google Maps is the world’s number one navigation app, with over 2 billion monthly users. As Maps turns 20 in February, Google is working hard to maintain its lead with the help of new cameras and generative artificial intelligence.

Thanks to a more nimble camera, Google can roll out updates to dozens of countries. At least three new maps are also in the works: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Namibia, and Liechtenstein. Street View cameras are a key part of how Google collects data for its maps, but it also relies on information from more than 1,000 third-party sources, including satellite and aerial imagery, local governments and users. Masu. This mass data collection system allows Google to provide maps in more than 250 countries and territories.

In October, Google enabled Maps with Gemini, a generative AI chatbot. Gemini can help you find a place that meets your detailed specifications, including a dog-friendly sports bar with TVs and outdoor dining. It summarizes thousands of reviews, provides drivers with real-time reports on obstacles like unplowed roads and flooded areas, and can overlay weather conditions on an immersive view along the way.

Public transport now shows details such as delay reports, alternative routes, and subway entrance locations. At your destination, Maps will suggest parking and help with walking directions from there.

Gemini is also enabling voice-activated reporting in Waze, which Google acquired for $1.3 billion in 2013. That data is fed into Google Maps, which helps both apps warn drivers of hazards in real time.

Chris Phillips, vice president and general manager of Google Geo, the division that operates the maps, said: He added that Waze “also helps improve road safety by notifying people of past problems on a particular road, which can lead to noticeable changes in the behavior of people driving on those roads.” I saw it,” he said.

Waze is also known for offering alternative routes.

“We’ll offer some more provocative maneuvers along the way,” Phillips said of “traversing through traffic.”

However, the alternative route has also worsened traffic conditions in some areas where small roads are not equipped to accommodate large numbers of vehicles.

Phillips said Google only uses public roads and works with local authorities to comply with specific road rules.

“Use of these navigation apps, whether built-in or on a smartphone device, is almost universal,” said James Hodgson, head of automotive at ABI Research.

Hodgson said one of the problems at the moment is that the technology is targeted to each user. “We’re getting to the point where we need a broader perspective, almost at the fleet level,” to improve efficiency, he said.

Hodgson said the big “perception wall” facing Google is around data privacy.

Google Maps blurs identifying information such as faces and license plates, and users can blur areas in Street View to prevent risks such as thieves analyzing their property.

Users can also turn off location history and delete locations they’ve been to. Certain locations, such as abortion clinics and domestic violence shelters, will be automatically removed. In December, Google began storing location history on devices instead of in the cloud, making it more difficult for authorities to access location history.

How much Google spends on Maps and how much it makes from it is shrouded in secrecy. Parent company Alphabet doesn’t feature Maps in its earnings report, confusing it with other services like search and YouTube. One of the only estimates is based on a 2019 Morgan Stanley report that predicted Maps’ revenue would reach $11 billion in 2023, up from $2.95 billion in 2019.

Revenue is primarily built on the advertising model that Google is familiar with.

“When people are searching for restaurants and places, we are always focused on providing them with the results that most accurately match what they are looking for,” Phillips said. . “And sellers have the opportunity to actually pay for advertising to have their store listed on that list.”

Google also makes money by selling software interfaces with detailed data to solar power companies looking for new customers. It provides highly accurate rooftop images, measurements, elevations, and shading for approximately 480 million buildings in 40 countries.

Google sells access to its Maps Platform to companies like Wayfair and Dominos. Developers have used it to build more than 10 million sites and apps for food delivery, ridesharing, real estate, and more. For example, in 2019, Uber It said it has paid Google $58 million for mapping technology over the past three years.

Google’s Android Automotive operating system and Maps are also profitable. It powers the infotainment systems of many cars. PolarisVolvo, Honda, GM, Ford.

As robotaxis become mainstream, accurate mapping is critical and represents a huge opportunity for Google.

Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo will dominate the U.S. robotaxis market in 2024, allowing passengers in Phoenix to hail fully self-driving cars directly from the Google Maps app. Robotaxis also offer the potential for a virtuous cycle.

“Waymo’s ambition, and what we see with almost every other self-driving vehicle platform provider, is to try to close that loop and use the same vehicles that benefit from the map to also contribute to the creation of that map. I think that’s the case,” Hodgson said. “That is the future of mapping in autonomous driving.”

Watch the video to learn more.