Google is "transforming Maps with the power of Gemini models, helping you get answers to complex questions about the world," Google's parent company, Alphabet, announced in an Oct. 31 press release. AI has already "helped us build new experiences for over a decade," but will now be a part of Maps in a largely new way, according to the company.

Google Maps is working on expanding car icon options, four years after first introducing them. Currently, users only have a few basic choices—red sedan, yellow SUV, and green pickup truck—since 2020.