Navigation app Waze is getting an AI makeover, according to a Verge report. Google’s flagship AI assistant Gemini will be incorporated into the driving app to let users personalize their trips a bit more.
Of the four new features Waze announced, only two are powered by Gemini. The company said it is updating its conversational reporting feature, first introduced in 2024, to let drivers use natural voice commands to report traffic incidents and suggest map updates, such as road closures or incorrect house numbers. Waze also introduced Destination Search, which allows drivers to find destinations using voice commands.
Aside from the AI features, Waze will be allowing users to adjust to a “less chatty” mode for voice prompts. In this mode, Waze will minimize the number of voice prompts and keep them short.
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Waze also introduces an AI-powered Motorcycle Mode that incorporates two-wheeled shortcuts and more accurate ETAs for the best possible routing while warning riders of hazardous conditions “like potholes, speed bumps, raised crosswalks, shoulder endings and narrow bridges.”
Waze will also recommend routes based on a user’s travel history and its own data on local traffic patterns. While AI-powered navigation may raise concerns about the accuracy of motorcycle directions, Waze said its recommendations are backed by a real-time traffic map and a team of motorcycle-focused human editors who keep information about hazards up to date.
Waze began testing what it calls “Conversational Reporting” in October 2024, allowing drivers to use natural language to report traffic incidents. With the latest update, the feature can also be used to suggest map changes. Through Waze’s voice search powered by Gemini, users can ask questions such as, “Find me a gas station nearby with the lowest prices,” and receive a customized list of results.
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According to Waze, Motorcycle mode is rolling out now in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines on Android and iOS, with more countries on the way. Gemini-powered voice searches, meanwhile, are rolling out to Waze’s beta community globally.
While Google is yet to give Waze a full AI-revamp, Google Maps has been getting more and more AI-powered capabilities, as the tech giant seemingly exerts greater control over its flagship navigation tool.