Search giant Google wants people to use its navigation app for more than just finding directions and avoiding traffic.

The tech giant is adding generative AI features to Google Maps so people can easily get recommendations for places to go and activities to do.

With 2 billion people using Google Maps every month, the company envisions people also will turn to the navigation app for inspiration, executives said at a press event at the company’s Street View Garage in Palo Alto on Wednesday.

Miriam Daniel, vice president and general manager of Google Maps, said the search giant has the ability to combine billions of pieces of information the company collects about the world and user reviews with generative AI.

“When we bring all this together, we will transform the way users interact with maps,” she said.

Rather than just finding directions or asking Google Maps to find the nearest gas station, users will be able to type out queries such as “things to do with friends at night in Boston” and get answers through the app. Curated with the help of Google’s generative AI chatbot and model known as Gemini, users then will see results that may include speakeasies or live music. Once the user taps on results for a business, for example, they’ll see a summary of reviews by users in addition to photos and videos of the place.

The AI-powered tools are rolling out this week on Apple and Android devices in the United States.

Google’s latest AI-powered updates underscore how the tech giant is responding to challenges to the company’s dominance in search. As the battle for the future of search heats up, the rise of AI tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT that can quickly summarize search results has the potential to reshape how people find and sift through information online.

Tech companies such as Meta, Apple and Microsoft have been responding to this change by infusing more generative AI tools into their products.

Google is no exception. At the company’s press event, a giant Google Map location icon, a blue Rivian vehicle and Google’s Street View cameras used to capture images of various locations filled the space.

As tech titans gather a trove of data about their users to power new generative AI tools, concerns about privacy, misinformation and copyright are some of the top issues companies have had to address.

Google also has faced scrutiny from regulators on its power over people’s lives, with a federal judge ruling in August that the company has an illegal monopoly on the online search market.

Daniel said when Google Maps provides users answers to their questions, the company isn’t using individualized information to provide personal results but contextual ones. For example, if a user asks Google Maps for things to do this weekend and it’s October, some of the suggestions might include seasonal activities such as pumpkin picking and going to a haunted house.

“We really take this seriously in making sure we’re using generative AI responsibly,” she said.

Google also is testing more AI-powered tools in another one of its popular navigation apps: Waze. Users will be able to tap a reporting button and tell the app that there’s a car accident ahead simply by speaking. Waze also will alert users when they’re near a school zone so they can be more careful about driving.

Developers are using Google’s AI technology to build new features in other products. Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian used Google data so people can see summaries of restaurants, shops and supermarkets from the car’s infotainment screen, a tool that will be rolled out starting next month.

Mattel, the toy maker behind major brands such as Barbie and Hot Wheels, is upgrading its real estate holdings, moving its studio operations and design center into new homes.

The company, headquartered in El Segundo, is planning to move its studio operations to a recently renovated 60,000-square-foot building by 2025. Mattel signed a multiyear contract to lease the office space at 831 S. Douglas St.

The building, located near Mattel’s current headquarters on Continental Boulevard, includes studios the company will use to shoot photos and videos to promote its products, as well as a patio that has fire pits and barbecue and kitchen areas. The building is close to other amenities including restaurants, an upscale athletic club, hotels and stores. For the last 30 years, Mattel has housed its studio operations on its campus, which includes multiple buildings.

The real estate deal is part of Mattel’s efforts to revamp its office space as the company aims to bolster productivity and creativity in the workplace along with attracting new employees. As workers start returning to the office after the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are trying to make the office more attractive for employees who have been accustomed to working remotely.

The interior of a building Mattel is moving its studio operations to by 2025. Mattel signed a multiyear contract to lease the office space at 831 S. Douglas St.

(Courtesy of Continental Development Corp.)

The industrial building, part of Continental Development Corp.’s Continental Park campus, was recently transformed to include a studio production area to meet Mattel’s creative needs.

“Employers have strived to provide reasons for their employees to want to come back into the office and interact with their peers, said Bob Tarnofsky, executive vice president of real estate at Continental Development. “The amenities that they provide are far greater than what we saw typically pre-COVID.”

As employers rethink the future of work, it’s not uncommon for businesses to sign shorter-term leases, Tarnofsky said. Mattel, however, signed a long-term lease. He declined to say how much Mattel paid for the lease and how long it lasts.

A patio with fire pits is among the amenities of the building.

(Courtesy of Continental Development Corp.)

This year, Mattel also announced it will be moving its design center, which has been located on Mariposa Avenue for more than three decades, to a newly renovated building in 2026. The center, where employees design the hair, clothing and other parts of toys, will be housed in a 167,767-square-foot office space known as Grand + Nash at 2160 E. Grand Ave. Mattel purchased the space for $59 million from New York Life Insurance.

“We are embarking on a significant interior modernization of our headquarters building at 333 Continental Boulevard, infused with the same design principles and inspired by office modernization efforts at Mattel offices around the globe,” David Traughber, Mattel’s senior vice president of finance and head of global real estate, said in a statement.

The buildings that currently house Mattel’s studio operations and design center are leased facilities the company will be vacating.

As of December 2023, Mattel had approximately 33,000 workers in more than 35 countries worldwide, according to the company’s annual report. The company has roughly 2,000 workers in El Segundo and offers its employees a hybrid work environment.

Apple’s new artificial intelligence tools are here. Now the company is trying to help customers understand them.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant on Wednesday began offering 15-minute sessions for customers at its hundreds of U.S. retail stores on the company’s new suite of AI tools called Apple Intelligence, which can help iPhone users to compose emails faster, create new emojis and delete their exes out of photos.

Apple Intelligence is a key feature on Apple’s newest operating system, which the company hopes will propel more customers to upgrade and buy more devices. The new capabilities are featured prominently in ads for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro that have aired lately, including during the World Series.

AI tools have been available to the broader public for a while now, but putting them directly in the hands of loyal Apple users could significantly accelerate the technology’s mainstream adoption. But the features will likely have a steep learning curve for some users, so Apple Store employees are tasked with walking customers through them.

The first set of new tools became available with the newest operating system update and works on iPhone 15 Pro, iPad A17 Pro or M1, Mac with M1 or newer models.

“One of the problems with a new tool like Apple Intelligence is getting people to try it out in the first place,” said Rob Enderle, principal analyst with the advisory services firm Enderle Group. “We tend to be creatures of habit and particularly as we get older, we don’t mess around with stuff that’s new and different. So getting people to use the tool becomes an important part of actually validating [whether] the tools [are] any good.”

Here are some of the key features of Apple Intelligence that The Times demoed. The effort is part of the tech giant’s “Today at Apple” sessions that aim to help educate Apple customers on how to navigate their devices.

Assisting communication

New AI tools can assist iPhone, Mac and iPad users with proofreading and composing messages.

For example, an iPhone user planning a sushi gathering at her house can type a few blurbs describing the time and place of the event, and Apple Intelligence will help create a full invitation.

Apple Intelligence can help change the tone of the message — whether the user wants it to be more friendly or professional.

The tech can also flag questions in an email that a user didn’t answer, summarize memos and prioritize notifying users on time-sensitive messages, such as when a delivery has arrived, so the note doesn’t get lost in their inbox.

Compiling memories, erasing exes

The AI tools can help users better find specific photos in their libraries and create short videos to relive memories based by typing in descriptions. For example, a mom can type in, “Hannah and her bunny over the years,” and the software will generate a slideshow compilation video from her photo library with music.

Apple Intelligence also has a photo editing tool inside the Photos app that lets users remove unwanted objects or people in their photos by tapping, brushing away or circling the image. People can delete selfie-sticks, photo bombers or even your ex-boyfriend or girlfriend from the picture.

A smarter Siri?

With the updated tools, Apple‘s voice-command system Siri will be able to better detect what a user is asking, even if they stumble over their words. Users can choose to speak or type questions to Siri.

For example, if someone tells Siri, “Set an alarm for — oh wait, no — set a timer for 10 minutes. Actually, I just thought about it, I can probably do it in five. Make it five minutes,” the software would, in theory, be able to figure out what the tongue-tied person meant to say.

Emojis on demand

In December, Apple Intelligence will also allow users to create their own customized emojis to use as stickers or reactions in text messages. For example, users can type a description such as, “shrimp with a cowboy hat,” and will receive a corresponding emoji to use in communications or create ones based on photos of their friends and family.

Other December updates include the option to access ChatGPT through Siri.