Google has initiated an intriguing experiment regarding the placement of advertisements within search results generated by artificial intelligence (AI) using Gemini technology, as reported by 9to5Google.
The first to notice this development was SEO consultant Brody Clark. According to his observations, ads appear at the bottom of the responses generated by the chatbot and are marked as "sponsored" content. Visually, these links are nearly indistinguishable from the regular links created by AI.
Currently, the new AI search interface does not offer an option to hide these advertisement blocks. Google had previously announced the ability to hide sponsored results in traditional search, but such settings do not seem to apply in AI mode.
Google has indicated that this is merely testing, which was announced back in May of this year. The company assures that ads should not be displayed to all users. Furthermore, Google informed 9to5Google that there are no plans for full integration of advertising into AI mode at this time. Nevertheless, the experiment suggests a search for monetization avenues for AI services.
The testing of advertising in AI mode has already sparked discussions about the future of such solutions. Chatbots are currently marketed as personal assistants, and the introduction of ad blocks in their responses could alter user perception negatively.