Google Launches LGBTQ+ Features For Pride Month - 1

Photo by Isi Parente on Unsplash

Google Launches LGBTQ+ Features For Pride Month

  • Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Google introduced new special features to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in June, during Pride Month. The tech giant will include festivals and events on Google Maps and Waze in the United States, and curated games and playlists on Google Play and YouTube Music.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Google launched new features to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community during Pride month.
  • Google Maps and Waze will include real-time traffic updates considering parades and events in the U.S.
  • Users will be able to access new content and updates on Google Arts & Culture, Google Play, and YouTube Music.

“June is Pride Month, a time of celebration and reflection for the LGBTQ+ community,” wrote Zach Overton, Senior Director of Global Brand Marketing & US Go-to-Market for Devices at Google. “Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, there are countless ways for members of the LGBTQ+ community, their friends & family, and allies, to learn, connect, and celebrate.”

On Google Maps and Waze—which recently included AI features powered by Gemini —users in the United States will get real-time traffic updates and the best routes considering the main parades and events.

Users can also filter restaurants, shops, and other locations considering the LGBTQ+owned or LGBTQ-friendly tag on Search or Maps.

Those interested in learning more about LGBTQ+ history can access the new content on Google Arts & Culture and explore topics such as the history of the Pride Flag.

Google also features LGBTQ+ games, books, and applications on a curated Google Play page, such as K-Pop Academy, HyperBeard, and She Is a Haunting.

On YouTube Music, users can access new curated playlists including the 2025 Pride Anthems featuring artists like Billie Eilish, Chappelle Roan, and Lady Gaga.

On Sunday, Google Doodle celebrated the hyperpop electronic music genre featuring LGBTQ+ artists like Sophie.

A few days ago, Google released new features, devices, and AI subscriptions announced during the annual I/O conference. The tech giant introduced AI Mode in Search, a new $249.99 AI subscription called “Google AI Ultra,” and its upcoming smart glasses.

AI Influencers Are Winning Followers And Brand Deals - 2

Image by lookstudion, from Freepik

AI Influencers Are Winning Followers And Brand Deals

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

AI influencers are becoming major players on social media, landing big brand deals and building loyal fanbases.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Caryn Marjorie launched an AI girlfriend chatbot charging $1 per minute.
  • Caryn AI made $70,000 in its first week.
  • AI bot started saying harmful, false things about Marjorie.

From Tokyo to New York, virtual characters like Imma and Aitana are reshaping the influencer world, as reported in an analysis by ABC News .

Caryn Marjorie, a 25-year-old influencer from Snapchat known as @CutieCaryn, was one of the first to clone herself using AI. In 2023, she launched Caryn AI, a voice-based chatbot version of herself that charged $1 per minute, marketed as “your virtual girlfriend.” Within a week, she earned $70,000, as reported by ABC News.

“I call Caryn AI a social experiment,” she told ABC News. “It was the very first digital clone of a real human being sent out to millions and millions of people,” she added.

But things quickly turned dark. The bot started inventing disturbing stories about her personal life. “She said something that would have left a person who might have been in a very depressed state to do something very dangerous to themselves,” Marjorie said to ABC News. She eventually shut the project down and now travels with bodyguards.



In Spain, another AI influencer named Aitana is so realistic that even celebrities tried to meet her. Her creators at The Clueless offer AI avatars for brands, calling it a cheaper, more reliable alternative to real models. “Aitana has changed our lives and she doesn’t exist,” said co-founder Rubén Cruz.

Back in New York, Marjorie admits AI isn’t going away. “I need to continue to be more human-like […] to compete with these influencers,” she said to ABC News. “It’s going to get really interesting from here,” she added.