Google might make it easier to plan your trip. The company said in a blog post Wednesday that it is rolling out a new AI-powered feature that lets you create custom travel itineraries.
This new feature is part of Search Generative Experience (SGE), an experimental version of Google Search that uses AI to instantly answer questions. To enable SGE, you must sign up with Search Labs.
For example, when you use Search to ask Google to plan a three-day, history-focused trip to Philadelphia, Google instantly creates a trip for you. Google says the AI leverages data from sites across the web, including reviews, photos, and business profiles that users have submitted to Google over the years. You can also export your itinerary to her Gmail, Docs, and Maps.
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AI-generated itineraries are currently only available in English and the US. However, you can ask Google Gemini, the company’s AI-powered chatbot aimed at competing with ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, to do the same in languages like Spanish.
The launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 began the transition to AI in the technology industry, with major companies investing billions of dollars in the technology. Generative AI takes billions of data points and synthesizes them to create novel text, images, and even realistic videos. Over the past year, Google has packed AI into all of its major products, from Gmail to Pixel.
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This is likely to be a key topic at Google I/O, the search giant’s annual developer conference in May, where the company will be showing off its latest technology. Google’s lead in AI technology propelled the company to near-record highs earlier this year. The excitement died down somewhat last month when Gemini incorrectly generated images of historical figures as people of color.
Circle to Search is a relatively new feature available on the Samsung Galaxy S24 and some Pixel devices that will soon use AI to translate text on your screen just by circling it.
Google Maps also provides up-to-date information about non-AI travel within the United States and Canada. In Maps, enter a major city, such as Los Angeles or New York, to see a list of recommended and popular locations. You can also organize your favorite places by creating a list of places in Maps.
Another non-AI update in search is the introduction of a new personalized style recommendation tool with features similar to Tinder, but this time for outfits. Swipe left or right on a T-shirt to help Google better recommend the right size to buy.
