Google Maps turns 20, adds AI features, new places 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 walked 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 prominent feature on Google Maps.

In a car equipped with the latest Street View camera, Biggs took CNBC on a ride 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 embedded in the vehicle.

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

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

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

With more than 2 billion monthly users, Google Maps is the best navigation app in the world. As Maps approaches its 20th anniversary in February, Google is working hard to maintain that edge, with the help of new cameras as well as generative artificial intelligence.

Smarter cameras are allowing Google to make updates in dozens of places. It is also drafting at least three new ones — Bosnia and Herzegovina, Namibia and Liechtenstein. Street View cameras are an important part of how Google collects data for Maps, but it also relies on satellite and aerial imagery, as well as information from more than 1,000 third-party sources, such as local governments and users. This massive data collection system allows Google to provide maps in more than 250 countries and territories.

In October, Google activated Maps with Gemini, its AI-generating chatbot. Gemini can help find places that meet a detailed set of specifications, such as a dog-friendly sports bar with TVs and outdoor dining. It can aggregate thousands of comments, give drivers real-time reports of disruptions like unpaved roads or flooded areas, and overlay weather conditions into an immersive view along the way.

On public transport, there are now reports of delays, alternative routes and details such as subway entrance locations. At the destination, Maps can make parking suggestions and then help with walking directions from there.Â

Gemini is also enabling voice-activated reports on Waze, which Google bought in 2013 for $1.3 billion. This data is fed into Google Maps to help alert drivers of both apps to real-time hazards.

“We hope our products are helping people navigate with more confidence and safety,” said Chris Phillips, vice president and general manager of Google Geo, the division that runs Maps. He said Waze is also helping to improve road safety by “letting people know that a certain road has had problems in the past, and we’ve seen a marked change in people’s behavior when they drive on those roads.” .

Waze is also known for providing alternative routes.

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

But the alternative roads have also worsened traffic in some neighborhoods, where small streets may be ill-equipped to handle many cars.

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

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

Hodgson said one problem currently is that the technology is targeted on a user-by-user basis. To improve efficiency, he said, “we’re getting to a point where there needs to be a broader, almost fleet-wide view.”

A “big perception barrier” that Google has faced, Hodgson said, is around data privacy.

Identifying information like faces and license plates are blurred in Google Maps, and users can request to blur an area in Street View to prevent a risk like thieves scanning their property.Â

Users can also turn off location history or delete places they’ve been. Some places like abortion clinics or domestic violence shelters are automatically deleted. In December, Google began keeping location history on the device 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 secrecy. Parent company Alphabet does not include Maps in its earnings reports, lumping it in with other services such as Search and YouTube. One of the only estimates comes from a 2019 Morgan Stanley report that predicted Maps would go from $2.95 billion in revenue in 2019 to $11 billion in 2023.

Revenue is largely built on a model Google knows well: advertising.

“We’re always focused on giving people the result, when they’re looking for a restaurant or a venue, that best fits what they’re looking for,” Phillips said. “And merchants have the option to pay for advertising to have their country appear on that list.”

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

Google sells access to its Maps platform to companies including Wayfair and Dominos. 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 said it paid Google $58 million for its mapping technology over the previous three years.

Google’s Android Automotive operating system, with Maps, also makes money. It powers the infotainment systems in many cars from PolestarVolvo, Honda, GM and Ford.

As robotax goes mainstream, accurate mapping is essential and a huge opportunity for Google.

Alphabet-owned Waymo dominated the US ride-hailing market in 2024, and passengers in Phoenix can hail one of the fully autonomous cars directly from the Google Maps app. Robotaxis also presents the potential for a virtuous cycle.

“I think an ambition for Waymo, and something we see from 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 creating that map,” said Hodgson. “This is the future where the design is going for autonomous driving.”

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