Google Reportedly Weaves Ads into Third-Party AI Chatbot Conversations
AdSense Expands to Conversational AI
▼ Summary
– Google is expanding its AdSense network to include ads in third-party AI chatbot conversations, as reported by Bloomberg.
– The initiative uses Google’s “AdSense for Search” product, allowing ads in conversational AI experiences, with early tests involving AI startups like iAsk and Liner.
– This move is a strategic response to the shift in how users seek information, as AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude gain popularity, potentially impacting Google’s search ad revenue.
– Google has already placed ads in its own AI-generated content, and this expansion into third-party chatbots is part of adapting its advertising model to new user behaviors.
– Details on ad integration and user reactions within chat interfaces are still unclear, highlighting Google’s efforts to align its advertising with AI advancements.
Google is reportedly extending its ubiquitous AdSense advertising network into a new frontier: conversations with third-party AI chatbots. According to a Bloomberg report citing individuals familiar with the initiative, Google began allowing ads within chat interactions on select external AI platforms earlier this year.
This move leverages Google’s existing “AdSense for Search” product, which traditionally allows website owners to display relevant ads alongside search results. The company confirmed the expansion, with a spokesperson stating, “AdSense for Search is available for websites that want to show relevant ads in their conversational AI experiences.” Early tests for this feature reportedly involved AI search startups iAsk and Liner, suggesting Google is exploring how best to integrate advertising into these emerging interfaces.
Adapting to the AI Search Shift
The expansion into chatbot advertising appears to be a strategic response to the evolving ways people seek information online. As users increasingly turn to AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, or Perplexity for answers and summaries, Google faces a potential disruption to its core search advertising revenue stream. By enabling ads directly within these conversational platforms, Google aims to capture advertising opportunities within this growing ecosystem.
This isn’t Google’s first foray into advertising alongside AI-generated content. The company has already integrated ads within its own “AI Overviews” – the AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of some standard Google Search results pages. Placing ads in third-party chatbots represents a further step in adapting its advertising model to a world where traditional search result pages might become less central for some queries.
Questions Remain
While Google is clearly exploring this avenue, details on how exactly these ads appear within chat interfaces and how users will react remain to be seen. The effectiveness and acceptance of advertising embedded within a potentially personal or task-oriented AI conversation could differ significantly from traditional web ad placements.
This development underscores Google’s ongoing efforts to intertwine its vast advertising infrastructure with the advancements in artificial intelligence, ensuring its business model evolves alongside user behavior shifts driven by AI tools.
(Inspired by: TechCrunch)
