Google Disco: A Radical AI Experiment Transforming the Web into Instant Apps

Google has unveiled Disco, an experimental web browser powered by Gemini technology that aims to completely rethink how we interact with the internet. Rather than treating browser tabs as passive windows for viewing information, this new tool transforms them into active, customized web applications generated in real-time.

This ambitious approach challenges the traditional definition of a web browser. While standard browsers simply display pages, Disco acts as a software builder that uses the content you are viewing as raw material. It is currently available only as a very early beta for macOS through Google Labs.

The core feature driving this innovation is called GenTabs. This system allows the Gemini 3 model to analyze all your open tabs and context to automatically construct a functional tool suited to your current task. Instead of just getting a summary of text, you receive a working application designed to help you achieve a specific goal.

For example, a student with twenty open tabs regarding quantum physics would not just see a list of links. Disco could generate a study app that visualizes complex concepts and organizes them into a clear, interactive structure. Similarly, a user browsing various recipe sites might instantly receive a generated meal planner, while a traveler could get an interactive itinerary with integrated maps.

This process combines the content of your tabs with your browsing history and recent conversational context with Gemini. Once the application is generated, users can further refine it using natural language commands. Google emphasizes that these AI-generated interfaces maintain links to original sources, offering a level of transparency that competitors are still struggling to implement.

Google’s strategy here differs significantly from companies like OpenAI or Perplexity, which are building entirely new browsers to compete directly with established players. Google has chosen to keep Chrome as a stable, conservative product for the masses while using Disco as a “wild laboratory” for risky innovations. This allows them to test radical ideas without disrupting the workflow of billions of Chrome users.

The philosophy behind Disco suggests that the web should be treated as a collection of materials rather than a series of fixed destinations. By converting the “tab hell” of dozens of open pages into a single cohesive tool, the browser suggests that the act of browsing is itself a form of creation. This shifts the user experience from passively consuming content to actively molding the internet to fit their needs.

This experiment hints at a future where fixed applications with predetermined layouts may no longer be the norm. If AI can generate interfaces and logic on the fly, the line between a browser, an app, and an operating system begins to blur. Disco represents a move toward “ephemeral” or instant apps that exist only as long as you need them.

Whether this approach will succeed in the long term remains to be seen, but it proves that AI browsers can be more than just chatbots in a sidebar. Google is betting that the next big leap in technology will come from AI that builds environments rather than just simulating human conversation.

We are curious to hear if you would use a browser that builds apps for you. Share your thoughts in the comments.