Google Starts Laying Advertising In AI Mode Results In Search

Illustration of Google Search (photo: @collectealing)

JAKARTA - Google officially started showing sponsored ads in AI Mode's answer to Google Search, marking a new chapter in an attempt to monetize its wind engine' feature. This ad is labeled sponsored and generally appears at the bottom of the AI-based response summary, ending the ad-free trial period that users have enjoyed over the past few months.

On November 21 at 14:18, Google clarified that the appearance of advertisements in AI Mode experienced by more users was still part of a trial that had been going on for several months. This means that Google has not made full or final launches for all users.

Earlier, on November 21 at 6:41 p.m., preliminary reports stated that Google appeared to have started rolling out wider ads in AI Mode, an important step that changed the feature from just an answer tool to an income product.

AI Mode has been available free to all users for almost a year. This feature provides automatic summary for a variety of complex searches. For paid Google One customers, AI Mode provides access to more advanced models like the Gemini 3 Pro, complete with interactive interfaces. Throughout the testing period, Google barely places ads in it, likely in order to maintain an optimal usage experience until adoption expands.

Now, sponsored ads have been directly integrated into AI-generated answers. Google complies with regulations by labeling sponsored on these results. In view, the ad card looks similar to the organic reference link that usually appears as a supporter of AI response, so the pairing looks quite natural.

SEO analyst Brodie Clark found that ad placement at least in this early phase tends to be at the bottom of AI's answer. Placement like this appears to be one of Google's experiments in optimizing click rate (CTR) or part of a series of other broadcast position experiments.

The move is in line with an industry report last August which said Google plans to introduce ads in AI Mode in the fourth quarter of 2025.

In terms of business, this decision is a natural development for Google, considering that the company's decades-long revenue model relies heavily on search advertising. After successfully encouraging users to adopt AI Mode and place it as part of a search journey, monetization is an unavoidable step.

The question that now arises is how users respond to ads that appear directly within AI answers, not in the traditional structure of search results pages. The level of public acceptance of this new ad format will most likely determine the direction of the evolution of future search monetization, especially when a generative AI is increasingly becoming the main way for people to access information.