According to Digital Trends, Google’s AI Mode is getting major agentic capabilities that let it handle real-world tasks like booking tickets, scheduling beauty and wellness appointments, and making restaurant reservations. The system can autonomously navigate the web, compare options across multiple platforms, and provide curated results with direct booking links. These features are powered by Project Mariner, Google’s experimental AI agent built on the Gemini 2.0 model. The update is currently available to AI Mode users in the United States who have opted into Search Labs, with higher usage limits for paid subscribers. Users can also talk to Search using their microphone or search by picture with Search Live integration in AI Mode.
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How it actually works
So here’s what’s really happening under the hood. Project Mariner basically turns Google‘s AI into your personal assistant that can actually do stuff, not just find information. It’s navigating websites, filling out forms, comparing prices and availability across different platforms – all without you having to click through multiple tabs. And honestly, that’s the game-changer. We’re moving from “here’s what you’re looking for” to “I’ll handle that for you.”
The business implications
Now here’s where it gets interesting for businesses. If Google’s AI is doing the comparing and booking for users, you better believe your listings need to be accurate and competitive across all those platforms. The AI is essentially becoming the gatekeeper between customers and service providers. So restaurants, salons, theaters – anyone taking reservations or bookings – needs to think about how they appear not just to human searchers, but to AI agents scanning multiple sites simultaneously.
What this means for users
Look, we’ve all been there – trying to book movie tickets means checking Fandango, then the theater’s own site, then maybe Atom Tickets to compare. It’s a pain. With this update, you’re basically outsourcing that entire research process. Just tell Google what you want, and it does the legwork. The question is, how much control are we willing to give up for convenience? And what happens when the AI makes a mistake or picks a suboptimal option?
The bigger picture
This is Google’s shot across the bow at services like Perplexity and other AI assistants. They’re not just building a better search engine – they’re building an automated task-completion system. The Search Labs experiment gives them real user data to refine this before potentially rolling it out worldwide. But the real test will be whether people actually trust an AI to handle their reservations and appointments, especially when money’s involved.
