{
  "id": 1717093,
  "title": "AI automation startup Relay shuts down, staff joins Google’s Chrome team",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/ai-automation-startup-relay-shuts-down-staff-joins-googles-chrome-team",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-18T13:02:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ghanaian Times",
    "slug": "ghanaian-times",
    "url": "https://ghanaiantimes.com.gh/ai-automation-startup-relay-shuts-down-staff-joins-googles-chrome-team/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "AI automation startup Relay, founded by Jacob Bank, has announced its closure, with some of its staff, including the CEO, joining Google's Chrome team. The company, which aimed to become the new Zapier through AI-powered workflow automation, will end access for paying customers on September 14, with free customers losing access by August 15. Bank, who previously spent six years at Google, will now take up the role of VP of Product for Google Chrome, leading the product and developer relations teams. He expressed excitement about bringing AI tools to more people and hinted at ambitious plans to integrate AI further into Chrome. Relay offered users the ability to automate repetitive tasks and streamline productivity, similar to Bank's previous startup, Timeful. Google has been gradually integrating AI into its user experience, with Gemini being integrated into search, Chrome, and other platforms. The move follows a growing response from users to these AI integrations, with Google reporting over 1 billion Gemini users.",
  "summary": "Relay, an AI-powered workflow automation tool that was launched in 2021 with the goal of becoming the new Zapier, is shutting down, and some of its staff — including its top executive — are joining Google’s Chrome team. Jacob Bank, Relay’s founder and CEO, shared a company announcement Monday that reveals the app will be shutting down access … The post AI automation startup Relay shuts down,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}