Google Maps is about to get a big dose of AI

Google has unveiled new generative AI features for its mapping and geospatial apps that are designed with enterprise users in mind. The new features, announced at Cloud Next in Las Vegas this week, add generative AI capabilities to Google’s mapping platform, giving it enhanced visual and data analytics powers. One of the new features, called Maps Imagery Grounding, allows enterprise users to use generative AI to create realistic scenes in Google Street View to visualize how a particular project—be it a movie set or a planned construction site—might look. Users merely type a prompt into Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, which then conjures the scene inside Street View, as long as the proper settings have been enabled within Google Maps Imagery. “In seconds, you can storyboard your creative vision with an accurate image—and you can even use Veo to animate the scene,” the company said in its press release. The company is also expanding the ways in which users can analyze data from satellite imagery in Google Earth. A new feature called Aerial and Satellite Insights allows users to analyze imagery that is stored in Google Cloud’s BigQuery—the company’s cloud-based data warehouse and analytics platform. The company claims that this feature shrinks “weeks of work” into just minutes of labor. Finally, the company is also launching two new Earth AI Imagery models, AI systems designed to assist with geospatial analysis. Google says that the models have been trained to identify “specific objects in imagery–like bridges, roads, and power lines.” Previously, companies had to build and train their own AI systems to do this, a process Google says could take months. The new models mean “businesses no longer need to spend months training and building AI from scratch when developing their own products.” The announcements build on Google’s broader push into enterprise geospatial AI. The company’s Earth AI platform is already being used by partners including Airbus and Boston Children’s Hospital for applications ranging from environmental monitoring to disaster response. “These AI updates unlock entirely new possibilities for businesses, data analysts, and urban planners,” the company said in its release. Techcrunch event San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026 When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence. Lucas is a senior writer at TechCrunch, where he covers artificial intelligence, consumer tech, and startups. He previously covered AI and cybersecurity at Gizmodo. You can contact Lucas by emailing lucas.ropek@techcrunch.com. View Bio