Google starts rolling out more ads in AI search results

Google is injecting more advertising into its AI-powered search experience, signalling a new phase in how the tech giant monetises its latest search innovations, the Verge writes in an article. On May 21, the company announced it has begun testing ads in AI Mode, the recently launched feature that offers users conversational answers to their queries.

AI Mode, now available to all users in the US, introduces a chatbot-style tab in Google Search. It provides a summarised response to searches along with links to relevant websites. However, those clean summaries may soon come with commercial interruptions. Google says it’s experimenting with displaying product recommendations and other ads within the AI-generated content.

For example, if a user asks for guidance on how to build a website, AI Mode might offer a step-by-step guide — followed by a “sponsored” suggestion for a website builder tool. These test ads are appearing for some users on both desktop and mobile platforms.

In addition to AI Mode, Google is also broadening its ad presence within AI Overviews — the AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of traditional search results. While these sponsored placements have already been introduced on mobile, they are now rolling out to desktop users across the United States. A search about travelling with small dogs, for instance, could surface a list of recommended pet carriers, complete with links to purchase, directly beneath the AI summary.

The expansion of ads in AI-generated search results highlights Google’s efforts to adapt its core advertising model to the evolving landscape of generative AI. While the company assures that all promotional content will be clearly marked as “sponsored,” the blending of ads with AI-generated guidance marks a significant shift in how information and commerce intersect in search.

Google also noted plans to bring ads in English-language AI Overviews to select countries later this year.

By Sabina Mammadli