Google Maps is introducing new AI features to help developers and users create interactive projects. These tools include a builder agent and an MCP server, which connects AI assistants to Google Maps’ technical documentation. The company is using Gemini models to power all of these new features.
One of the key tools is the builder agent. This tool allows you to describe the kind of interactive map-based prototype you want to build using simple text. It will then generate the prototype for you. For example, you could type a request to create a Street View tour of a city, visualize real-time weather in your region, or list pet-friendly hotels in a specific city. After the code is generated, you can export it, test the preview project using your own API keys, or modify the project in Firebase Studio.
The same tool also includes a styling agent. This feature lets users create a customized map to match a particular style format or theme, which could help brands create maps with specific color coding.
Google already provides map data grounding via the Gemini API. The company is now introducing a similar feature called Grounding Lite. This allows developers to ground their own AI models using the Model Context Protocol, a standard that lets AI assistants connect to external data sources. With this feature, AI assistants can answer questions like, “How far is the nearest grocery store?” The company is also shipping Contextual View, a low-code Google Maps component that provides visual understanding for such questions. This feature can show a list, a map view, or a 3D display as an answer.
Google is also adding a code assistant toolkit called the MCP server, which connects with Google Maps’ documentation. Developers can use this connection to get answers about how to use the Google Maps API and data. Last month, the company launched extensions for Gemini’s command line tool to let developers access Maps data.
On the consumer side, Google is adding more Gemini-powered features for Maps. Last week, it enabled users to use Gemini hands-free with Maps for navigation. For users in India, Google added incident alerts and speed limit data to the Maps app in select areas.