According to Digital Trends, Google’s AI Mode is stepping out of the search box with new agentic capabilities that let it handle real-world tasks like booking tickets, scheduling beauty and wellness appointments, and making restaurant reservations. These features are powered by Project Mariner, Google’s experimental AI agent built on the Gemini 2.0 model, and are currently available to AI Mode users in the United States who have opted into Search Labs. The system can autonomously navigate the web, compare options across multiple platforms, and provide curated results with direct booking links. Paid subscribers get higher usage limits, and users can now talk to Search using their microphone or search by picture with Search Live integration in AI Mode. This represents a major shift from simply answering questions to helping users complete multi-step tasks that require reasoning.
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The era of AI agents is here
This isn’t just another incremental update—it’s Google‘s answer to the growing Perplexity threat and a clear signal that AI is moving from assistant to agent. Instead of just giving you information, it’s now taking action on your behalf. And honestly, that’s where this technology was always headed. Think about how much time we waste bouncing between sites comparing movie times or restaurant availability. Now you can basically just tell Google what you want and let it do the legwork.
What this means for businesses
Here’s the thing that should make every business owner pay attention: if your services aren’t properly represented on the platforms that AI Mode consults, you’re going to become invisible. We’re talking about a fundamental shift in how consumers discover and book services. When an AI agent is doing the comparison shopping for someone, it’s not going to dig through poorly optimized listings or incomplete information. Your digital presence needs to be spotless, because soon humans won’t be the ones looking at it—AI agents will.
Where this is all heading
Look, this US-only rollout through Search Labs is just the beginning. Google will almost certainly expand these features globally once they work out the kinks. But the bigger picture is what happens when these capabilities become mainstream. Will we trust AI to make reservations for us? Schedule important appointments? The convenience is undeniable, but there‘s a psychological hurdle to clear. Still, the trajectory is clear: search is becoming action, and the line between digital assistant and personal agent is blurring fast. What happens when these systems start anticipating our needs before we even ask?
