Google Maps has now taken on the role of an agent, allowing you to order food, make hotel reservations, and check your calendar.

      Google Maps’ Ask Maps is acquiring new agentic functionalities such as food ordering, hotel reservations, and event ticket purchases. Personal Intelligence integrates Gmail and Calendar for tailored responses. This feature is being rolled out in the US.

      Google Maps now extends beyond mere navigation. On Thursday, the company revealed that Ask Maps, the conversational feature powered by Gemini launched in March, is enhancing its capabilities by allowing users to order food, book hotels, and find event tickets. Users can express their requests in natural language, and Ask Maps will generate options, fill a cart, and facilitate payment via partner platforms like Uber Eats, Toast, and Square.

      The hotel booking process operates in a similar manner. For instance, a user might input, “find me a top-rated hotel with an artsy atmosphere near a gym in downtown Miami for next weekend,” and Ask Maps will evaluate prices and check for availability before showcasing options. Users can click through to a partner's website to finalize their booking. The process for discovering events is identical: users can inquire about local comedy shows or live music, and Ask Maps will provide options with links to purchase tickets. These new agentic features are being launched in the US.

      A notable addition is Personal Intelligence, which links Ask Maps with a user's Gmail and Google Calendar. With user consent, this feature can pull flight information, dinner bookings, or conference agendas from the user’s inbox to offer personalized suggestions without requiring the user to detail every aspect. It is turned off by default. Ask Maps will also have the capability to remember previous conversations, enabling users to continue trip planning from where they left off. A live transit feature that tracks real-time delays is also in the rollout.

      This update represents a significant shift in how Google is evolving its products into agents that perform tasks instead of just providing information. At I/O in May, Google transitioned from a traditional search box to AI agents that actively monitor the web, create custom tools, and act on behalf of users. Ask Maps is now adopting a similar role within a navigation app utilized by over a billion people each month. The key consideration is whether users will feel comfortable having a map service order their meals, and whether restaurants, hotels, and ticketing services will view this as a distribution opportunity or a disintermediation threat.