“This story is based on uninformed, anonymous sources who are making inaccurate claims,” Dan Taylor, vice president, global ads at Google, said in a Monday post on X. “There are no ads in the Gemini app and there are no current plans to change that.”
AdWeek had said earlier in the day, in a post on X promoting a paywalled article: “[Google] has told advertising clients in recent days that it plans to bring ads to its AI chatbot Gemini, according to agency buyers familiar with the conversations.”
It was reported in May that Google was testing the placement of ads inside AI chatbot conversations in an effort to protect its search ads business.
Bloomberg reported at the time that Google had begun embedding ads directly into conversations with AI chatbots from startups, including iAsk and Liner, and that this was an expansion of Google’s AdSense for Search network, setting the stage for a new era of AI-powered monetization.
In the pilot, Google inserted contextual ads into real-time chats between users and AI chatbots.
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Meta said in October that it will begin using people’s conversations with its AI to create personalized ads and content. The change is set to go into effect on Dec. 16.
“Your interactions with content on Facebook and Instagram have long shaped what appears in your feed,” the company wrote in a blog post. “Just like other personalized services, we tailor the ads and content you see based on your activity, ensuring that your experience evolves as your interests change. Many people expect their interactions to make what they see more relevant. Soon, interactions with AI will be another signal we use to improve people’s experience.”
In August, it was reported that Elon Musk was planning to let companies promote their brands within X’s AI chatbot.
Musk said during a live discussion with advertisers broadcast on the social media platform that the company would let marketers pay to show up in suggestions from X’s chatbot Grok.
“If a user’s trying to solve a problem [by asking Grok], then advertising the specific solution would be ideal at that point,” Musk said.
