Google has announced that it will update business hours and real-world road information using artificial intelligence (AI) and a machine learning (ML) model.
The goal of these initiatives is to give users more up-to-date information about changes in their neighborhoods.
Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Get More Accurate Data
Though AI research began in the 1950s, it wasn’t until recently that deep learning breakthroughs were made. This is largely due to the fact that machine learning has advanced significantly 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 breakneck speed.
Google is utilizing artificial intelligence to update business hours
Many businesses have changed as a result of COVID-19, including the hours that retailers 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 incorrect hours, it immediately updates the company’s business profile with AI-generated predictions.
For instance, a company’s profile 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that its busiest hours are typically Monday evenings, it will automatically recognize that the hours are likely out-of-date and update them.
It also employs Street View images of the storefront to identify hours of operation signs, as well as the assistance of local guides and business owners to confirm predictions.
Google Duplex, an AI system that allows people to have natural conversations and complete real-world tasks with computers over the phone, is used to contact business owners.
Within the next six months, Google expects to use this technology to update the hours of more than 20 million businesses around the world.
Real-Time Road Conditions are Updated by Machine Learning
Google also revealed that it is experimenting with new ways to use images for AI and machine learning. It is launching a third-party imagery pilot in the United States that will provide the most up-to-date speed limit information.
The goal of this technology is to increase driver safety while also providing information that can help drivers drive more efficiently. Google plans to add information about potholes, school zones, and construction in the future.
The importance of privacy is still emphasized
Privacy is a key component of this pilot’s design. Only public roads will be used as a source of reference images. Identifiable information, such as faces and license plates, will also have to be blurred.
When Google receives an image, it blurs it again before deleting it after the maps have been updated.
Learn more from SEO and read Google claims that AI-generated content violates its guidelines.
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