Ask Maps Gets Smarter: Food Ordering, Hotel Booking, and More

Google is expanding its Ask Maps chatbot to include new features that make it more capable and useful. One of the most significant additions is the ability for users to order food directly through the chatbot, with initial partnerships announced with Toast, Square, and Uber Eats.

Amanda Leicht-Moore, senior product director of Google Maps, demoed this feature by asking Ask Maps for recommendations on avocado toast and an oat milk latte near her home. The chatbot responded with a list of suggestions, which Leicht-Moore then used to place an order.

Ask Maps will also be able to help users book hotels for their next trip, allowing them to describe their preferences and receiving recommendations in real time. Additionally, the chatbot will have access to Personal Intelligence, which enables it to connect with other Google apps and services to provide more personalized responses.

The feature is expanding beyond the US to 150 countries and territories where users can converse with Ask Maps in English. However, some features like food ordering and hotel booking are only available in the US for now.