Google’s Tabletop builds custom tools for group plans, but there’s a waitlist

Google Labs has introduced Tabletop, an experiment that lets a group ask AI to build its own planning tools. It can turn a request into an interactive trip itinerary, dinner poll, expense splitter or tournament bracket that people use together.

The catch is access. Google says Tabletop is rolling out through a waitlist for adults aged 18 and over in the United States. Joining the list is not the same as getting immediate access, and Google has not given a wider release date.

The idea is to give a group a shared space for the task at hand, instead of making everyone work around a fixed form. Members can bring links, files and ideas into the space and ask the @tabletop assistant to generate a tool, or start from a template.

Tabletop is a Google Labs experiment for shared activities. Image: Google Labs

One link for the tools a group creates

In its announcement, Google suggests uses ranging from a family trip to a recreational sports league. Someone organising a meal could request a poll, while a group planning a trip could put its links and itinerary in the same space.

Once a space is ready, its creator can share an invitation link in an existing group chat. Google says participants can use the space at the same time, comparing the experience to collaborating in a Google Doc.

That does not mean Tabletop automatically reads the whole chat. Google describes people adding the material they want to use and sharing a separate link to the resulting space.

Google also illustrates examples including a road-trip map and a tournament bracket. These are demonstrations of what it wants the experiment to do, rather than a promise that every generated tool will work perfectly for every group.

Google Labs engineer Roman Nurik discusses Tabletop in an official video. Image: Google Labs

Who can try Tabletop?

The Tabletop page has the waitlist. Google’s launch announcement limits the initial rollout to US users aged 18 and older; it does not provide a timetable for other countries or say when a person on the list will be admitted.

The tool is separate from Google’s other AI features. Google has also added AI-assisted editing to Google Slides, but Tabletop is a Labs experiment aimed at building and sharing interactive planning tools.

For a group considering it, the practical decision is what to put in the shared space and who receives the invite. Plans can contain personal details, so review material before sharing it with others.