Google shuts down Project Mariner as AI agent race shifts to more powerful tools

Google shuts down Project Mariner

Google has pulled the plug on Project Mariner, an experimental feature designed to perform tasks for you across the web, as reported earlier by Wired's Maxwell Zeff. The Project Mariner landing page now contains a message that says: "Thank you for using Project Mariner. It was shut down on May 4th, 2026 and its technology voyaged to other Google products." Google first revealed Project Mariner in December 2024 and later announced an update allowing it to perform up to 10 tasks at a time. Over the past year, Google has integrated features powered by Project Mariner into its other AI tools, including Gemini Agent, which can do things like archive emails on your behalf or help you book a hotel. Google also folded Project Mariner's agentic capabilities into its AI-powered search feature, AI Mode.

Google quietly kills Project Mariner as the AI agent race shifts gears

Google isn't abandoning the tech entirely, as many of the tool's features are being folded into the Gemini API and Gemini Agent. Google is reportedly pulling the plug on Project Mariner, the experimental AI browser agent it once positioned as the future of how people interact with the web. If you didn't follow the buzz, Project Mariner (introduced during I/O 2025) was Google DeepMind's effort to create an AI that could use the internet much like a person. However, in March, there were signs that the project was going to bite the dust after Google moved staffers off the Project Mariner team, as reported by Wired's Maxwell Zeff. X user BoughtMilkMan first spotted the project's shutdown, as indicated by its landing page's message. Unlike basic chatbots that just summarize web pages, Mariner could move through Chrome, fill out forms, look up job listings, and even book travel on sites such as Expedia. It did this by taking frequent screenshots of your browser, recognizing buttons and text, and then clicking or typing for you. Although the concept of an AI assistant browsing the web is appealing, the technology is resource-intensive. These agents require significant computing power to process visual data in real time, which can result in slow performance and occasional errors, such as selecting incorrect options. There's another reason for this change: the industry has moved forward. While Google worked on browser-based agents, new agentic AI tools like OpenClaw and Claude Code have become more popular. These tools go beyond clicking links -- they can modify files, write complex code, and act as digital coworkers. If you liked what Mariner could do, there's no need to worry. Google has said that Mariner's technology will live on in other products. Most of its features are being added to the Gemini API and the new Gemini Agent.