Google opens AI world generator Project Genie to subscribers

Friday 30 January 2026 - 15:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Google opens AI world generator Project Genie to subscribers

Google DeepMind has launched public access to Project Genie, an experimental AI tool that lets users create and navigate interactive 3D environments from text prompts or images. Available since Thursday to U.S. subscribers of Google AI Ultra aged 18 and older, it marks the first real-world rollout of technology powered by Genie 3, the company's world model unveiled in August 2025.

Project Genie positions Google in the growing race for world models, AI systems that simulate environments and predict outcomes of actions within them. Experts at DeepMind and beyond view these models as a key step toward artificial general intelligence.

Users kick off by describing an environment and main character in text, which Nano Banana Pro converts into an image. Genie 3 then builds a real-time interactive world around it as users explore. Each generated world lasts 60 seconds at about 720p resolution and 24 frames per second, limited by computational demands that dedicate a single chip per session. Shlomi Fruchter, DeepMind research director, explained to TechCrunch that this setup reserves hardware exclusively for each user.

Hands-on tests highlight strengths in whimsical, artistic scenes, like TechCrunch's marshmallow castle with chocolate moats in a claymation style. Yet it struggles with photorealistic or cinematic worlds, often yielding video game-like results instead. The Verge noted input lag making environments nearly unplayable at times, alongside occasional failures in visual consistency.

The release heats up competition in world models. World Labs by Fei-Fei Li debuted Marble in November 2025 for downloadable 3D environments from prompts. Runway unveiled its GWM-1 family in December 2025, while Yann LeCun's AMI Labs secured 500 million euros for rival tech. DeepMind stresses Genie as a research prototype with known limits, such as characters clipping through walls or unresponsive controls, plus safeguards blocking copyrighted content. Fruchter described it not as a daily-use product but a glimpse of something intriguing and unique.