Google Sneaks Ads Into AI Chatbots While Users Aren’t Looking

Google has started placing ads in AI chatbot conversations. The company rolled out this feature in 2025, first testing with startups like iAsk and Liner. Ads appear beneath AI-generated answers when users discuss specific topics. This move helps Google protect its $198 billion search advertising business against competitors like OpenAI and Perplexity AI. The strategy raises questions about how users will respond to these embedded promotions during their AI interactions.

Google has launched a new advertising strategy by placing ads directly inside AI chatbot conversations. The tech giant began testing this approach in early 2025 with AI startups like iAsk and Liner before expanding the program more widely. By May 2025, Google rolled out the full implementation through its AdSense for Search platform, marking a major shift in digital advertising as generative AI changes how people look for information.

This move comes as Google tries to protect its massive search advertising business, which generated over $198 billion in revenue in 2024. Search ads made up nearly 60% of Alphabet’s total sales that year. The company faces growing competition from AI-powered alternatives like OpenAI and Perplexity AI, which threaten Google’s dominant position in online search, where it still holds about 90% of the global market. With 94% of data leaders focusing on data management due to increasing AI adoption, Google’s strategy aligns with broader industry trends.

The ads appear when users ask questions or seek information from AI chatbots. For example, someone chatting about hiking might see ads for backpacks or boots. Platforms like iAsk place these ads beneath AI-generated answers, and users might be prompted to continue their conversation after viewing the sponsored content. These ads leverage targeted advertising opportunities in research-heavy use cases that platforms like Liner specialize in.

Google has confirmed that “AdSense for Search is available for websites that want to show relevant ads in their conversational AI experiences.” The company has partnered with firms like Koah Labs to create advertisements specifically designed for chatbot users, creating a new distribution channel beyond traditional website search results. The longer, more nuanced queries that users typically ask chatbots provide valuable context for highly relevant ad placement.

This strategy reflects Google’s adaptation to changing user behaviors, as more people turn to conversational AI tools instead of traditional search engines. The challenge for Google is balancing effective advertising with a good user experience, as some people might find ads in chats intrusive while others might simply ignore them.

The move represents Google’s effort to maintain its leadership in the advertising market while creating a new frontier for advertisers in the growing AI search space, even as the company’s market dominance faces scrutiny from the Department of Justice.