As Silicon Valley obsesses over a new wave of AI coding agents, Google and other AI labs are shifting their bets.
SECURITY POLITICS THE BIG STORY BUSINESS SCIENCE CULTURE REVIEWS Menu Account Account Newsletters Security Politics The Big Story Business Science Culture Reviews Chevron More Expand The Big Interview Magazine Events WIRED Insider WIRED Consulting Newsletters Podcasts Video Livestreams Merch Search Search Maxwell Zeff Business Mar 19, 2026 2:00 PM Google Shakes Up Its Browser Agent Team Amid OpenClaw Craze As Silicon Valley obsesses over a new wave of AI coding agents, Google and other AI labs are shifting their bets.
Photo-Illustration: WIRED Staff; Getty Images Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Google is shaking up the team behind Project Mariner , its AI agent that can navigate the Chrome browser and complete tasks on a user’s behalf, WIRED has learned.
In recent months, some Google Labs staffers who worked on the research prototype have moved on to higher-priority projects, according to two people familiar with the matter.