Google wants you to chat with ads now: AI Mode gets conversational ads and highlighted answers

The era of an ad-free AI experience in Google Search is coming to an end. During its I/O 2026 conference on Wednesday, the tech giant announced that it is using Gemini to inject dynamic AI-generated ad formats directly into AI Mode alongside the traditional search experience.

“As the Search experience becomes smarter and more conversational, we’re using Gemini models to experiment with new ad experiences designed to provide engaging, helpful answers that connect people with businesses.” Google said in a blog post.