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BUSINESS EYE NOVEMBER 03, 2023 | The Indian Eye 36

TECH T@LK

Google Maps is getting new AI-powered search updates

Research shows serious security, privacy risks in smart homes

OUR BUREAU privacy issues raised by the increasing number of
opaque and intricately designed Internet of Things
San Francisco, CA
(IoT) devices in smart homes.
oogle is introducing AI-powered upgrades Smart homes, which include a variety of con-
to its Maps app. The new features include sumer-focused IoT gadgets including smartphones,
Gimmersive navigation, easier-to-follow driv- smart TVs, virtual assistants, and security cameras,
ing directions, and better organized search results, are getting more and more networked. These gad-
The Verge reported. gets can sense activity in our homes, which are the
Google wants Maps to be more like Search: a most private places we have, using cameras, micro-
place where people can obviously come get direc- phones, and other sensors. Can we trust that the
tions or find coffee shops and EV chargers but also sensitive data that these gadgets in our homes have
enter vague queries like “fall foliage,” “latte art,” or access to is being handled and protected in a safe
“things to do in Tokyo” and get a whole bunch of ac- nies, so they can tweak and improve Maps for the manner? is an important question.
tually useful hits. Google said it wants people to use in-car navigation experience. “When we think of what happens between the
Maps to discover new places or experiences, all while One of the ways Google is using AI to make walls of our homes, we think of it as a trusted, pri-
under the auspices of its all-powerful algorithm. Maps more like Search is to analyze “billions” of vate place. In reality, we find that smart devices in
Chris Phillips, Vice President and General user-uploaded photos to help people find random our homes are piercing that veil of trust and priva-
Manager of Geo at Google, stated that AI has “su- items, like coffee shops that offer lattes with pan- cy--in ways that allow nearly any company to learn
percharged the way we map” and is crucial in assist- da faces, said Miriam Daniel, Google Maps team what devices are in your home, to know when you
ing users with navigation and making vital choices. leader. People can type specific questions into are home, and to learn where your home is.
The future of Google Maps, according to Maps, much in the way they do with Search, and These behaviours are generally not disclosed
Phillips, is a product that’s more “visual and im- get a list of results for nearby businesses or loca- to consumers, and there is a need for better protec-
mersive” but also one that helps you make “more tions that match the query based on a real-time tions in the home,” said David Choffnes, Associate
sustainable choices,” like riding transit or a bike. analysis of user photos. Professor of Computer Science and Executive Di-
Google is also expanding its API offerings to de- Meanwhile, researchers, have released rector of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at
velopers, cities, and especially automotive compa- ground-breaking research on the security and Northeastern University.

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