Google's AI Assistant Goes Mainstream, Sheds 'Experimental' Label

Google has officially shut down an experimental feature called Project Mariner, a tool that aimed to perform tasks across the web automatically. The project was first revealed in December 2024 and initially allowed users to assign a single task for it to complete. In May, Google announced that Project Mariner would be integrated into its other AI tools, including the Gemini Agent, which can now handle up to 10 tasks simultaneously. Over the past year, Project Mariner’s capabilities have been expanded upon, with the tool being used in various areas such as web browsing and information research. However, it appears that Google has decided to discontinue the project and is instead leveraging its technology in other AI products. Google’s decision to shut down Project Mariner comes after a year-long development phase, during which the company aimed to demonstrate the potential of its AI capabilities.