Google confirmed it will now show ads in AI Mode results with Personal Intelligence enabled. Back in March, Google said AI Mode with Personal Intelligence turned on would be ad-free, but that is now changing.
Google told Anu Adegbola last March, "There are currently no ads for people who choose to connect their apps with AI Mode. That isn’t changing right now." Although Google did say ads will likely come, Google said, "In the future, we anticipate that ads will operate similarly for people who choose to connect their apps with AI Mode. Ads will continue to be relevant to things like your query, the context of the response and your interests."
And yes, now they are here. While ads in AI Mode is not new, ads in AI Mode with Personal Intelligence active is new.
Google told Search Engine Land on Friday, "Google is starting to test ads in AI Mode in Search for users who connect their apps through Personal Intelligence, reversing its earlier ad-free approach to the experience."
If you look at the updated help document it now says (the previous version did not say this):
If I connect my content apps, will my Gmail inbox or Google Photos library be used to serve ads? Ads will not be based directly on your Gmail inbox or your Google Photos library.If you connect your content apps to Search Services, Search may reference summaries, excerpts and inferences from these sources to personalize your experience and do things for you. That same info may be used to show you ads, so they are even more helpful for you.
As always, Google doesn’t show you personalized ads based on sensitive categories, such as race, religion, sexual orientation, or health. You get to choose if you want to connect your content apps to Search Services. You can adjust your settings, including disconnecting content apps from Search services, at any time.
Here is a screenshot:
Google said "ads will continue to be relevant to things like your query, the context of the response and your interests." If you choose to connect your apps and ask AI Mode a question, AI Mode may use limited info like insights and summaries from your apps to provide responses that are uniquely relevant to you. That same data may now be used to show you ads, so they are even more helpful in this experience. Ads will not be based directly on your Gmail inbox or Photos library, and advertisers will not have access to your connected apps. As always, sensitive information will not be used to tailor ads.
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