Google Maps Becomes Task-Completing Agent with Food Ordering, Hotel Booking

Google Maps has expanded its capabilities to include agent-like features that can order food, book hotels, and find event tickets. The update, which is rolling out in the US, uses Gemini-powered conversational technology called Ask Maps. Users can describe what they want in natural language, and Ask Maps will surface options, populate a cart, and hand off payment to partner platforms.

The new features include food ordering with Uber Eats, Toast, and Square, hotel booking that compares prices and checks availability, and event discovery that returns options with links to buy tickets. Personal Intelligence connects Gmail and Google Calendar to provide tailored recommendations based on user data. The update also includes a live transit widget that tracks delays in real time.

The addition of agent-like features marks a significant shift for Google Maps, which is used by over a billion people monthly. As users become more comfortable with the new capabilities, it's unclear whether they will trust a map to order their lunch and whether restaurants, hotels, and ticketing platforms will see this as distribution or disintermediation.