Two decades ago, Google co-founder Larry Page had an idea that would change the way we navigate the world. Maria Biggs, technical program manager at Google Street View, recalls that Page “drove down some of these streets with a video camera and handed it to someone and said, ‘Hey, what can you do with this?'”
Fast forward to the present, Google is now deploying a new generation of cameras that can be added to any vehicle, allowing it to update map data more easily and frequently. The company is also using generative artificial intelligence to improve the user experience.
One example of this is Gemini, a chatbot that can help users find specific types of businesses, such as dog-friendly sports bars or restaurants with outdoor seating. Gemini can also provide real-time reports on traffic and road conditions, and even offer alternative routes to avoid congested areas.
Google’s Maps platform is used by over 2 billion people per month, and the company is working to keep its lead by investing in new technologies and improving its existing services. The company is also exploring the use of autonomous vehicles, with its subsidiary Waymo dominating the US market in 2024.
But mapping technology is not without its challenges. James Hodgson, who covers automotive for ABI Research, notes that one issue is that the technology is currently targeted on a user-by-user basis, rather than at a fleet level. He also notes that there are concerns about data privacy, which Google is addressing by blurring facial recognition data and allowing users to turn off location history.
Google’s revenue from Maps is not publicly disclosed, but estimates suggest it could reach $11 billion by 2023. The company makes money through advertising and selling access to its Maps Platform to other companies. With the rise of autonomous vehicles, accurate mapping is becoming increasingly important, and Google is well-positioned to capitalize on this trend.