Google’s Artificial Intelligence, Google Maps data can now be used to automatically update vital information about businesses using AI and photography.
Google has revealed that it will update business hours and real-world road information using artificial intelligence (AI) and a machine learning (ML) model.
The purpose of these programmes is to give people more up-to-date information regarding developments in their neighbourhood.
Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Get More Accurate Data
Though AI research began in the 1950s, it wasn’t until recently that deep learning advancements were made. This is largely due to the fact that machine learning has advanced tremendously since 2010.
“From my own experience, I’ve discovered that machine learning algorithms are no longer bottlenecks.” In a February 22 interview with Search Engine Journal, Edo Liberty, the former head of Amazon’s AI lab and current CEO of Pinecone, a vector database for similarity search, said, “They’re far from perfect, and there’s a lot of work to be done, but that work is happening at breakneck speed.”
These advancements, which coincide with the rise of big data, are allowing AI to advance at a breakneck pace.
Google Using AI To Update Business Hours
Many businesses have changed as a result of COVID-19, including the hours that merchants and restaurants are open. Google created a machine learning model that automatically detects if business hours are likely incorrect in order to address these changes and provide better search engine users.
When Google detects erroneous hours, it immediately adjusts the company’s business profile with AI-generated projections.
For instance, a company’s page may indicate that it is closed on Mondays, but it hasn’t been updated in over a year.
If Google discovers that its busiest hours are often Monday evenings, it will automatically detect that the hours are likely out-of-date and adjust them.
It also employs Street View photographs of the storefront to identify hours of operation signage, as well as the assistance of local guides and business owners to confirm predictions.
Google Duplex, an AI system that allows users to conduct lifelike conversations and complete real-world tasks with computers over the phone, is used to call business owners.
Within the next six months, Google expects to use this technology to update the hours of more than 20 million businesses throughout the world.
ML Updates Real-World Road Conditions
Google also revealed that it is exploring new ways to leverage photos for AI and machine learning. It is launching a third-party imaging trial in the United States that will deliver the most up-to-date speed limit information.
The purpose of this technology is to increase driver safety while also providing information that can help drivers drive more efficiently. Google plans to add information on potholes, school zones, and construction in the future.
The importance of privacy is still emphasised
Privacy is a major component of this pilot’s design. Only public roads will be used as a source of reference photographs. Identifiable information, such as faces and licence plates, will also have to be blurred.
When Google receives an image, it blurs it again before deleting it once the maps have been updated.
Source: Google
Featured Image: Screenshot from blog.google/products/maps/, April 2022.