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Google Labs released Opal recently. People expected it to end "vibe coding." The idea was simple. You describe an app in plain language, and Opal builds it. You could build entire workflows or apps without writing code.
I tested it to see if it could replace my Python scripts or Make workflows. I had a specific task in mind. I wanted a smart email automation assistant.
My current process works like this: โข I move credit card statements from Gmail to Google Drive. โข I use an LLM to analyze the data. โข The AI helps me track spending and save money.
Since Google owns Gmail and Vertex AI, I thought Opal would excel here. I was wrong.
When I tried to build this, Opal gave me an error. It said the application requires tools it does not support. It even suggested I copy and paste email text manually into a text box.
This is a major problem. Here is why Opal fails at automation:
The Sandbox Problem Opal runs in a closed environment. It lacks OAuth authorization. It cannot access your Gmail because it cannot act on your behalf.
No Function Calling Modern AI agents use function calling to talk to external APIs. Opal cannot connect to outside tools or even Google's own internal APIs. It only uses a few built-in functions.
The Manual ETL Issue Automation should handle Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) tasks. Opal suggests users manually copy and paste data. If I have to paste text myself, I will just use ChatGPT or Gemini directly. I do not need a custom dashboard for that.
Opal confuses "App Building" with "Process Automation."
It works for one-time tools like a travel itinerary generator. It fails for real workflows. For automation, tools like Make still lead Google by a long margin.
Source: https://dev.to/jh5_pulse/google-opal-cong-qi-dai-dao-shi-wang-5678
Optional learning community: https://t.me/GyaanSetuAi