Artificial intelligence workflow automation tool Relay announced its closure, with its founder and CEO Jacob Bank and some employees joining the Google Chrome team. Bank announced on Monday that Relay will stop serving paying users on September 14, and free users lost access as of August 15. The shutdown plan for the app was first announced in July.

Relay was launched in 2021, positioning itself as an "AI version of Zapier," helping businesses handle repetitive tasks such as document writing, editing, and project management through workflow automation. Bank joined Google in 2015, and previously founded the scheduling app Timeful, which was acquired by Google. He worked on products such as Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Chat before leaving to start Relay.

Bank revealed that he will return to Google as Vice President of Chrome Products, leading the Chrome product and developer relations team. He stated that Chrome would be an ideal place for AI agents to play a role and plans to enhance AI's ability to perform tasks within the browser.

This personnel and business adjustment further demonstrates Google's strategy of deeply embedding AI into core products. After Gemini was integrated into search and Chrome, Google continues to expand the application of AI in user experience and internet access points. Recently, Google disclosed that the number of Gemini users has exceeded 1 billion. With the Relay team joining, Chrome's AI agent capabilities may be further accelerated.