Google ends Project Mariner experimental browser tool
▼ Summary
– Google shut down Project Mariner on May 4th, 2026, and its technology was transferred to other Google products.
– Project Mariner was an experimental feature that performed web tasks, first revealed in December 2024 with an update allowing up to 10 simultaneous tasks.
– Google integrated Project Mariner’s capabilities into AI tools like Gemini Agent and its AI-powered search feature, AI Mode.
– Google introduced a new AI feature called “auto-browse” in Chrome for multi-step tasks, which may respond to competitors like OpenAI and Perplexity.
– The removal of Project Mariner may make room for other AI features debuting at Google I/O on May 19th.
Google has officially discontinued Project Mariner, its experimental browser tool designed to automate web-based tasks, as first reported by Wired’s Maxwell Zeff. Visitors to the Project Mariner landing page now see a message stating: “Thank you for using Project Mariner. It was shut down on May 4th, 2026 and its technology voyaged to other Google products.”
Initially unveiled in December 2024, Project Mariner was later updated to handle up to 10 simultaneous tasks. Over the last year, Google has woven Mariner’s underlying capabilities into other AI offerings. For instance, Gemini Agent can now archive emails or assist with hotel bookings, while the company’s AI Mode search feature has also absorbed some of Mariner’s agentic functionality.
Earlier this year, Google introduced a new AI feature called “auto-browse,” which enables multi-step actions in Chrome, such as researching flight prices. Although Google has not explicitly confirmed a link to Project Mariner, the feature appears to be a direct response to similar agentic browsing tools from competitors like OpenAI, Perplexity, and OpenClaw.
By shutting down Project Mariner, Google may be clearing the runway for fresh AI innovations expected at this year’s I/O conference, which kicks off on May 19th. The company has not yet responded to The Verge’s request for comment.
(Source: The Verge)
