Fast Facts

• Google’s Canvas, powered by Gemini AI, now helps U.S. users plan trips via desktop Search.
• AI Mode uses real-time data on flights, hotels, and activities to generate personalized itineraries.
• Travel plans are saved for future access and can be refined through follow-up questions.
• Canvas is available only to users who opt into Google Labs’ AI experiments.
• “Agentic” features and flight deal tracking are now live, signaling a broader AI push in travel search.

From Map to Machine: The Rise of AI-Powered Travel

Imagine swapping your battered guidebook and endless browser tabs for a digital concierge that knows your preferences, reads your mind, and never sleeps. That’s the vision Google is chasing with its new AI Mode in Search - a tool that promises to turn vacation chaos into algorithmic order. But behind the glossy demos and convenience lies a deeper story about the evolution of digital travel planning and the growing role of artificial intelligence in our daily lives.

Canvas: Google’s New Travel Architect

Launched earlier this year as a coding assistant, Canvas has quietly pivoted to become Google’s AI-powered travel architect. Now, U.S. users who opt into Labs experiments can simply type their dream trip - “a week in Paris with art, food, and hidden gems” - and let the AI do the heavy lifting. Canvas scours real-time flight and hotel data, restaurant reviews, and even hiking spots, assembling it all into a customized itinerary. Options for comparing hotels by price or amenities, tracking flight prices, and optimizing activities by location are all part of the package.

What sets Canvas apart isn’t just its data crunching - it’s the interactive loop. Users can ask follow-up questions (“What if I skip the Louvre?” or “Add a vegetarian restaurant nearby”), and the AI will adjust the plan on the fly, saving each version for later reference. The entire experience is currently desktop-only and limited to U.S. users, but it’s a glimpse into a future where AI replaces the travel agent - and maybe even your own decision-making.

The Bigger Picture: Data, Dominance, and Digital Trust

Google’s move isn’t happening in a vacuum. The travel industry has long struggled with fragmented information and decision fatigue. Booking.com, Expedia, and even Meta have experimented with AI-driven recommendations, but Google’s deep integration with Search and Maps gives it an unrivaled advantage. With every query, Google not only learns what you want - it learns how you plan, move, and spend. This data, when combined with “agentic” AI (AI that can act autonomously), could reshape not just travel, but commerce itself.

Of course, the convenience comes with questions. How much control are we handing over to algorithms? Can AI truly capture the serendipity of travel, or will it funnel us down the same well-trodden paths? And as Google’s AI keeps tabs on our preferences, the line between helpful assistant and data broker blurs ever further.

WIKICROOK

• AI Mode: AI Mode is a search setting that uses artificial intelligence to generate direct answers and summaries, replacing traditional lists of website links.
• Canvas: Canvas is a Google AI tool that generates and customizes travel itineraries, offering personalized suggestions based on user preferences.
• Gemini AI: Gemini AI is Google’s advanced AI system that enables smarter, conversational features in apps like Maps, making digital interactions more intuitive.
• Agentic AI: Agentic AI systems can independently make decisions and take actions, operating with limited human oversight and adapting to changing situations.
• Itinerary Optimization: Itinerary optimization uses algorithms to arrange travel routes and schedules for maximum efficiency, saving time and resources during trips.