According to a former Google executive, the Mountain View firm does not offer tourist itineraries for a very specific reason. According to him, integrating such a feature would cause the algorithm to highlight upscale neighborhoods, to the detriment of the poorest areas.
In order to remain in the TOP 3 of the best mapping applications on the market, Google continues to regularly bring new features to Maps. In April 2024, for example, we mentioned in our columns this future update concerning electric charging stations. Thanks to AI, Google Maps will display more information about access routesthe power available on the terminals, the estimated waiting time or even the type of socket used.
Lately, Maps has also added new place listings. The Trending category allows you to discover new locations that are trendy among users. The TOP list lists places that have benefited from the approval of the community for several months/years.
As you will have understood, Google Maps ensures that it remains the application of choice for all travelers, whether they have a vehicle or not. However, the application does not yet offer what could be called picturesque or bucolic itineraries, understand routes that would pass through the most beautiful places.
Google doesn’t offer these routes for good reason
Kasey Klimes, a former Google Maps executive (from 2017 to 2021), wanted to explain why on X. In a long thread, the ex-developer believes that adding such a feature would fatally modify the Maps algorithm. Today, Maps simply offers you the shortest or least busy route, without making any other distinctions.
By planning bucolic or picturesque itineraries (use the term you prefer), the algorithm would de facto include other variables such as the beauty of the landscapes and architecture, the cleanliness of the streets, the presence of vegetation or not, etc. Result, According to him, these variables would direct users towards upscale, high-income neighborhoods, to the detriment of the poorest areas. By extension, tourism and commerce in these working-class/difficulty neighborhoods could therefore suffer, according to him.
However, he specifies that this idea was under discussion at Google for navigation on foot only. Finally, let us add thatKasey Klimes’ posts have all been removed from X. Perhaps the Mountain View firm did not appreciate seeing its secrets leaked like this. Or did the executive prefer to withdraw his comments in the face of the large number of indignant reactions from users.