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Google Maps Turns AI Into A Travel And Planning Assistant

by News Editor

Google is adding a new wave of AI-powered capabilities to Google Maps, allowing users to order food, compare hotels and discover local events directly through its Ask Maps assistant.

The update marks another step in Google’s effort to turn Maps into more than a navigation app, positioning it as an AI assistant that can help users complete everyday tasks.

From Recommendations To Reservations

Users can now ask Ask Maps for specific recommendations, such as nearby restaurants serving particular dishes or drinks. After selecting a venue, they can place an order through supported platforms, including Square, Toast and Uber Eats, without having to search multiple apps.

The assistant can also help travellers find accommodation by comparing hotel prices, checking availability and directing users to partner websites to complete their bookings.

In addition, Ask Maps can suggest nearby entertainment, including comedy shows and live music, while providing links to purchase tickets. These new agentic features are initially rolling out in the United States.

More Personalised Travel Planning

Google is also introducing Personal Intelligence to Ask Maps, enabling the assistant to tailor responses using information from a user’s Gmail and Google Calendar.

For example, it can answer questions about upcoming flights, hotel reservations or dinner plans, and recommend attractions or restaurants near a booked hotel. The feature is optional and remains disabled by default.

Conversations Continue Where They Left Off

Ask Maps will now remember previous conversations, allowing users to continue planning trips without repeating earlier requests. Google is also launching a live public transport widget that provides real-time updates on delays and travel conditions.

Unlike the food-ordering tools, Personal Intelligence and the live transit widget will be available in all markets where Ask Maps is currently supported.

Mirendil Signs $100 Million Google Cloud Deal To Advance Self-Improving AI

by News Editor

AI startup Mirendil has signed a multi-year agreement worth more than $100 million with Google Cloud to secure computing infrastructure for its self-improving AI research.

The partnership reflects growing competition among AI companies to lock in access to high-performance computing, while cloud providers race to attract promising startups developing next-generation AI models.

Backing The Next Stage Of AI Research

Mirendil plans to use Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), Nvidia GPUs and managed training infrastructure to develop AI systems capable of improving their own performance over time.

Known as recursive self-improvement, the concept focuses on building AI that can refine its knowledge and capabilities with minimal human intervention. The technology is attracting growing interest across the industry, with several startups and leading AI labs exploring similar approaches.

According to co-founder and Chief Executive Behnam Neyshabur, the long-term goal is to develop AI that can automate scientific research and accelerate discoveries in fields such as medicine, biology and materials science.

Compute Capacity Becomes A Strategic Asset

Training increasingly advanced AI models requires enormous computing resources, making long-term infrastructure agreements a critical competitive advantage.

Mirendil said Google’s combination of TPUs and GPUs allows workloads to be matched with the most suitable hardware, improving efficiency while reducing costs for customers.

For Google Cloud, the agreement strengthens its position in the race to provide infrastructure for frontier AI developers, while giving the company exposure to one of the industry’s emerging approaches to next-generation artificial intelligence.

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