So long, Assistant—Gemini is taking over Google Maps (arstechnica.com)

Google is rolling Gemini into Google Maps, beginning a staged replacement of Google Assistant’s hands‑free role in the app. The rollout, which starts today, will gradually swap Assistant for Gemini in navigation, place info and in‑app interactions (behavior will vary by platform and how you run Maps). Google highlights Gemini’s stronger conversational abilities: instead of short, rigid replies, it can handle more complex, multi-part requests (e.g., “cheap vegan restaurants nearby” with context-aware suggestions) and provide richer, follow‑up location details. Technically, Maps will get a dedicated, Gemini‑powered Lens for after you park: point your camera at a storefront, menu or interior and receive instant, location‑focused answers distinct from the general Lens in the Google app. Google says these generative replies are grounded in its billions of place listings and Street View imagery to reduce location hallucinations, and it explicitly disclaims that Gemini will not be used for route selection. The net effect for AI/ML practitioners: tighter multimodal local search and context management in a high‑scale consumer product, with emphasis on retrieval/grounding strategies to mitigate hallucination risk during deployment. Expect mixed user experiences during the gradual rollout.