Type an idea, get a map: Google lets AI build map apps

Have you ever wished for a small app that shows the nearest store, plans a trip with multiple stops or displays the air quality in your neighborhood? In principle, you can now do it by simply writing what you want. Google has made Google Maps Platform available in the Build app-building feature in AI Studio, so a text description can become a working map app, TestingCatalog reports.

How it works

The user describes the app they want. Google's AI model Gemini then sets up Google Maps Platform and handles the API key. An API key is a kind of password that an app uses to get permission to retrieve data from a service. According to TestingCatalog, the setup happens without redirects, or you can connect an existing Google Cloud project. The preview shows a live, interactive map.

TestingCatalog mentions store locators, route planners, 3D flights over cities and real-time air quality monitors as examples.

The tools are divided into four categories:

- Maps: styled maps, photorealistic 3D cities and data overlays. - Places: conversational local search, place profiles, photo galleries and recommendations. - Routes: road trips with multiple stops, commute calculations and day planning that accounts for public transit. - Environment: clean-air routing, pollen alerts and environmental monitoring down to the local level.

For inspiration, TestingCatalog says there are gallery projects that you can explore and build on: City Immersive Tour with 3D city maps and flight paths, Pet Grooming Route Optimizer with multi-stop routes, and Store Locator & Near Me Finder with vector maps.

Free to try, payment at publication

According to Google's documentation, experiments are free and do not require a credit card. AI Studio automatically provides a demo key for Maps. It covers most services, including Maps JavaScript API, Places, Routes, Geocoding, Weather and Air Quality, but not Route Optimization, Solar and Nav Connect.

TestingCatalog describes a quota of 100 calls per API per day in the sandbox, while Google's documentation calls it a demo key with 100 calls per day per API, reset every 24 hours. A call is a single request from the app to the service.

If an app is to be published, or if capacity needs to be increased, TestingCatalog says a paid Google Cloud billing account is required. It provides production quotas and standard Maps Platform pricing, including recurring monthly free usage. According to Google, the existing demo key continues to work without code changes once a billing account or billable project is connected. The documentation also states that AI Studio can deploy the app directly to Cloud Run from the interface.