Waze Launches New AI Feature Powered By Gemini To Report Road Incidents

Waze launched a new Conversational Reporting feature powered by Gemini’s AI technology for drivers to report traffic incidents by speaking, and another feature called School Zones alerts drivers when they are driving near a school.

According to the official announcement shared by Google, Conversational Reporting has been released in beta mode in English for selected drivers across the world for iOS and Android devices and will expand in the upcoming months to more users and in more languages. The School Zones feature will be released later this year.

Conversational Reporting allows Gemini to listen to drivers’ reports and descriptions in different scenarios—from potholes to constructions to traffic jams—and automatically adds it to the collaborative platform to inform other drivers.

“All you need to do is tap the reporting button and speak naturally, as if you’re chatting with a friend: ´Looks like there are cars jammed up ahead!´” wrote Gai Berkovich, Waze General Manager in the document. “With the help of Gemini capabilities, Waze will understand what you’re saying and quickly add a real-time report to the map for you — no need to use a specific voice command or tap extra buttons.”

Berkovich explains they believe this will help avoid car accidents and help drivers share updates in a safer and easier way. If Gemini needs more information it will ask the driver for more details to include in the app report.

School Zones has been designed to increase safety and keep drivers alert. “When you’re driving near a school when it’s open and we have information for that school zone available, you’ll receive an alert that reminds you to be extra cautious,” explained Berkovich.

📣 Conversational Reporting empowers drivers to speak naturally, as Waze leverages Gemini capabilities to intuitively understand you. pic.twitter.com/QQKUfXgXwv

— waze (@waze) October 31, 2024

Other companies have also announced new platforms and updates to reduce car accidents and make roads safer. Toyota and NTT will launch an AI-powered platform for a zero-traffic accident initiative, and Uber recently launched another AI-powered update to help drivers with electric vehicles.