I have mixed feelings about the current state of Google Labs.
On the one hand, its 2023 rebranding to an AI-first platform has spawned depressing experiments like Google Flow and Project Genie, which try to replace human art with AI-generated slop.
On the other hand, tools like Literature Insights and Little Language Lessons feel genuinely helpful.
But no Google Labs experiment has triggered a feeling of disgust like Dreambeans. I see it as a thinly veiled excuse to deliver ads.
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Dreambeans seems irrelevant on the surface
A strange amalgamation of existing products
Google states that “Dreambeans provides personalized collections of stories each day covering the things that matter most to you.”
It’s a wonderfully vague mission statement, but the small text explains the app well enough.
Dreambeans connects to your Google apps, including Gmail, Calendar, Photos, YouTube, and Search history.
Each morning, the app generates a list of “stories” that relate to upcoming events in Calendar, delivery notifications from Gmail, or anniversaries of your photos.
Credit: Google
As you scroll through the TikTok-style feed of “stories,” you can tap each one to explore further.
The idea behind this is that Dreambeans gives you greater insight into your life and prompts you to take action on important events.
The app’s hand-drawn aesthetic evokes the feeling of opening a diary, but I still wasn’t sure about its purpose at first.
An AI tool that summarizes upcoming events seems irrelevant at first. Why bother opening Dreambeans when you could ask Gemini what upcoming events are in your Calendar?
The answer is that Dreambeans is less a personal assistant and more a collection of ideas. It’s not telling you what you need to do, it’s telling you how to engage more with things you’re interested in.
Unfortunately, this engagement appears to revolve entirely around spending money.
Dreambeans is a not-so-subtle attempt to deliver ads
It’s easy to see how Google can manipulate this app
Google’s launch video for Dreambeans contained a snapshot of what scrolling through the app would look like.
Here’s a summary of what Dreambeans considers important and what it suggests you do.
Event: An upcoming trip to France with your mother
Action: Reserve a table at this restaurant
Event: You have saved store credit
Action: Explore these suggested items
Event: It’s your friend Brian’s birthday soon
Action: Explore these camping gift ideas
Event: You’re getting a new puppy
Action: Know what you need to provide a new puppy
Notice a pattern? All but one of the actions involved purchasing something from a list of suggested items.
Even the last event about a new puppy suggested reading about what you need to buy to ensure it settles in well.
I’m impressed by Google’s audacity in being so blatant with its goals for Dreambeans.
I was expecting something pointless, but instead, Google made it clear that Dreambeans is another way to deliver sponsored ads.
Dreambeans struggles to fulfill its mission statement
Who is this app for?
What frustrates me the most about Dreambeans is the AI-generated art splattered across the promotional video.
Google even states in the app’s Help Center that “Every story is illustrated with personalized, AI-generated artwork.
Credit: Google
“If a story involves you or the people in your life, Dreambeans uses Google Photos and Nano Banana 2 to personalize the scene rather than relying on generic stock photos.”
Great! So rather than a reminder about a relative’s birthday accompanied by a fond memory of them, I get to see a soulless rendition of their face instead.
If the purpose of the app is to “cover the things that matter most,” then it’s already failed.
Dreambeans is in Labs for good reason. The whole thing is clearly an experiment to see whether Google can provide a fully AI-generated app that serves targeted ads.
Smarter decisions, like providing actual photos that would trigger an emotional response, are ignored.
Dreambeans won’t take off, but I’m still angry
I’m struggling to think of who Dreambeans is aimed at. AI enthusiasts likely already have their daily AI brief set up, and the homely aesthetic aligns with those who would rather cut off their left arm than use AI.
I don’t see the value in the app. Most of the actions prompted in the video would require a significant amount of work to explore fully, which is the last thing I want to do while drinking my morning coffee.
But I’m used to pointless AI apps. Dreambeans feels like an insult, as it pretends to help us connect more with our lives while delivering AI-generated art and ads.
I think this app will die a quiet death before it reaches a wider audience, but I want Google to know that this experiment is exactly the kind of thing we don’t want.
Stick to improving useful tools like NotebookLM rather than invading our personal lives, please.