Google is expanding the reach of Project Mariner, its experimental artificial intelligence agent designed to navigate and interact with websites on behalf of users. Now available for subscribers to the AI Ultra plan in the United States at a monthly cost of 249.99 dollars, Mariner will soon become accessible in additional countries according to company plans.
Alongside this broader rollout, Google has enhanced Mariner’s power, granting it the ability to juggle up to ten tasks at once. The agent no longer runs locally in the browser but instead operates on cloud-based virtual machines, aligning with the infrastructure used by rival AI systems from OpenAI and Amazon.
Project Mariner Sets New Standards for Internet Interaction
This transition frees users to continue working while Mariner manages background browsing tasks, addressing earlier feedback that found previous versions restrictive. Early versions required users to keep their PCs tied up during an active Mariner session, but the cloud approach resolves that limitation entirely.
Mariner lets people complete tasks such as buying event tickets or ordering groceries simply by interacting with Google’s AI, eliminating the need to visit external sites. Competing products—such as Amazon’s Nova Act, OpenAI’s Operator, and Anthropic’s Computer Use—are being tested as well, but have yet to show Mariner’s efficiency since improvements drawn from user input are now making Google’s offering more capable and less error-prone.
The company is further weaving Mariner into its developer resources, including integration with the Gemini API and Vertex AI, which paves the way for developers to deploy AI-powered tools within their own apps. Meanwhile, collaborations with platforms like Resy, Vagaro, Ticketmaster, and StubHub are underway, enabling the AI agent to carry out bookings and purchases across various services.
Google also introduced an early preview of Agent Mode, a feature that merges sophisticated research tools and web browsing with broad Google app integrations. Ultra plan subscribers will be the first to try Agent Mode on desktop, as Google continues its shift toward automated, AI-driven user experiences.
In the months ahead, Project Mariner will be offered through AI Mode as part of Search Labs, Google’s test portal for experimental search features. These developments signal a pivotal moment for how users accomplish tasks on the web, with AI handling both routine actions and complex flows behind the scenes.
