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

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

“Larry was driving down some of these streets with a video camera and handed it to someone and said, ‘Hey, what can you do with this?'” said Maria Biggs, technical program manager at Google Street View, a featured feature in Google Maps.

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

“We’re going to Hawaii with these next-generation camera systems because we don’t have to send the whole car,” Biggs said. “We can just put the camera system in a box and ship it over there and then rent a car when we’re there.”

Biggs said the new technology will allow Google to update data on some places for the first time in 10 years.

“We’ll be able to easily move these cameras around and have more freshness in our maps,” she said.

With more than 2 billion users per monthGoogle maps are worldwide top navigation application. As Maps approaches its 20th anniversary in February, Google is working hard to maintain that lead, with the help of new cameras as well as generative artificial intelligence.

Smarter cameras allow Google to update in dozens of countries. It also maps at least three new ones — Bosnia and Herzegovina, Namibia and Liechtenstein. Street View cameras are a significant part of how Google collects data for Maps, but it also relies on satellite and aerial imagery and information from more than 1,000 third-party sources, such as local authorities and users. This massive data collection system enables Google to offer maps in more than 250 countries and territories.

Gemini also enables voice-activated reports in Waze, which was acquired by Google in 2013 for 1.3 billion dollars. This data is fed into Google Maps to warn drivers of hazards in both apps in real time.

“Our hope is that our products help people get around more safely and securely,” said Chris Phillips, vice president and general manager of Google Geo, the division that runs Maps. He said Waze also helps improve road safety by “letting people know that a particular street has had problems in the past, and we’ve seen a noticeable change in people’s behavior driving those streets.”

Waze is also known for offering alternative routes.

“We’re going to give you more provocative maneuvers along the way,” Phillips said, when it comes to “dodging traffic and moving around.”

But there are also alternative directions worsened traffic in some neighborhoods, where small roads may be poorly equipped for car delivery.

Phillips said Google only uses public roads and works with local authorities to enforce rules for specific streets.

“The use of these navigation apps, whether embedded or on smart devices, is almost universal,” said James Hodgson, who covers the automotive industry for ABI Research.

Hodgson said one problem right now is that the technology is user-centric. To improve efficiency, he said, “we’re getting to the point where we need to take a broader view, almost at the fleet level.”

The main “perception hurdle” Google has faced, Hodgson said, is around data privacy.

Identifying information like faces and license plates are blurred on Google Maps, and users can request blurring of the area on Street View to prevent risk like thieves analyzing their property.

Users can also turn off location history or delete places they’ve been. Certain places like abortion clinics or shelters for victims of domestic violence are automatically deleted. In December, Google began saving location history on devices instead of in the cloud, making it harder for authorities to access location history.

How much Google spends and earns on Maps is shrouded in mystery. The parent company Alphabet does not separate Karta in its earnings reports, merging them with other services such as Search and YouTube. One of the rare estimates comes from 2019 Morgan Stanley the report forecast Maps would grow from $2.95 billion in revenue in 2019 to $11 billion in 2023.

Revenue is mostly based on a model that Google knows well: advertising.

“We’re always focused on giving people the result, when they’re looking for a restaurant or place, that most closely matches what they’re looking for,” Phillips said. “And marketers have the opportunity to actually pay for advertising to get their place on that list.”

Google also makes money by selling a detailed data software interface solar companies looking for new customers. It has highly accurate roof images, measurements, height and shading for around 480 million buildings in 40 countries.

Google sells access to its Map platform companies including Wayfair and Dominoes. Developers have used it to build more than 10 million sites and apps for things like food delivery, ride-sharing and real estate. For example, in 2019 Uber he said that paid Google $58 million for its mapping technology over the past three years.

Google’s Android Automotive operating systemwith Maps, also earns. It powers the infotainment systems in many cars from Polestar, Volvo, Honda, GM and Ford.

As robotaxis become more popular, accurate mapping is crucial and a huge opportunity for Google.

Waymo owned by Alphabet dominates the US robotaxi market 2024, and passengers in Phoenix can summon one of the fully autonomous cars directly from the Google Maps app. Robotaxis also represents the potential for a good cycle.

“I think the ambition for Waymo, and something we see with almost every other autonomous 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,” Hodgson said. the future where mapping is going for autonomous driving.”

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