Introducing Google Maps Grounding in the Gemini API

Key Concepts

Grounding with Google Maps feature/tool: A new capability within the Gemini API that allows developers to access and leverage Google Maps' extensive place data (over 250 million entries).
Gemini API: Google's generative AI model that powers this new feature.
AI Studio: An environment where developers can try, prototype, and build applications using the Gemini API and its features.
System Prompt: Instructions given to the AI model to guide its behavior and tool usage.
Tool Call: The mechanism by which the AI model interacts with external tools, such as Google Maps.
Place Data: Information about locations, businesses, and points of interest available through Google Maps.

Introduction to the Grounding with Google Maps Feature

The video announces a new "Grounding with Google Maps" feature, integrated into the Gemini API. This feature aims to simplify access to Google Maps' vast database of over 250 million place data points for developers. The goal is to enable the creation of innovative applications built on top of this data using Gemini.

AI Studio: A Prototyping and Development Environment

A new experience is available within AI Studio, allowing users to explore various demos and prototypes powered by the live API and the new Google Maps grounding feature. This environment also facilitates building and remixing these applications.

Demonstration: Italian Restaurants in Chicago

A live demo showcases the feature's capabilities. The user, interested in visiting Chicago, asks for Italian restaurants.

User Request: "I've always wanted to visit Chicago and check out uh check out the city, so maybe we can look at some Italian restaurants."
AI Response (using Grounding with Google Maps): The AI confirms the request and states, "Please wait while I confer with Grounding with Google Maps to find some Italian restaurants for you." It then provides the top three Italian restaurants in Chicago, Illinois.

Handling Specificity and Misspellings

The user then inquires about a specific restaurant, "Zarella," which they've heard about.

User Request: "These look interesting, but I've always wanted to try this place, Zarella, that I've been hearing about and seeing. Supposedly, it's a really good I think it's it's spelled Zarella, not Zorella."
AI Response (initial): "Apologies. I can't find a restaurant called Zorella in Chicago. Perhaps the name is spelled differently. If you'd like, I can give you some more suggestions from Google Maps."
User Request (clarification): "Yeah, maybe you try three different spellings and we'll see if we can get it. I'll use grounding with Google Maps for that request."
AI Response (successful): "I found one restaurant matching your query. Zerella Pizzeria."

Limitations and Customization

The user then asks if reservations can be made.

User Request: "Um I don't know if it's possible, but can you get me reservations? Is that is that possible?"
AI Response: "I am sorry I can't directly make reservations."

The demonstration highlights that while the feature can access and retrieve information from Google Maps, direct transactional capabilities like making reservations are not yet supported.

Customization of the AI Experience

The video emphasizes the customizable nature of this experience.

Settings Panel: Users can access a settings panel to:
- Swap out different AI models.
- Change voice options.
- View and modify the system prompt.
System Prompt Example: In the demo, the system prompt instructs the model to explicitly state when it's using "grounding with Google search" (or in this case, Google Maps) by saying, "Give me a second while I use grounding with Google search." This demonstrates how developers can tailor the AI's conversational flow and tool usage announcements.
Chat Interface: The chat interface on the left side of the screen allows users to add features or further customize the experience.

Call to Action and Resources

The presenter expresses excitement for developers to try the new Google Maps grounding experience and encourages feedback.

Resources: A linked blog post will provide detailed information on pricing, availability, and code samples.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

The "Grounding with Google Maps" feature in the Gemini API offers developers a powerful new way to integrate rich location data into their applications. The AI Studio provides a user-friendly environment for prototyping and building with this capability. The feature is highly customizable, allowing for adjustments to models, voices, and system prompts, which dictate how the AI interacts with tools like Google Maps. While direct actions like making reservations are not yet supported, the ability to query and retrieve specific place data is a significant advancement for building location-aware AI applications.