Google Shuts Down Project Mariner Web Agent

Google has shut down Project Mariner, its AI agent that browsed the web by taking screenshots and visually identifying page elements like buttons and links. The tool, launched at Google I/O last year, could fill forms, search listings, and book travel autonomously. Its shutdown date is listed as May 4, 2026. Signs of trouble emerged in March when Google began reassigning staff away from the project. The technology will be absorbed into the Gemini API and Gemini Agent. The shutdown reflects a broader industry shift toward faster, cheaper file and code-level AI agents over screenshot-based approaches.