In 2026, Google’s AI is embracing that oldest and noblest of internet traditions: sponsored content.
Over the weekend, Google released a tiny memo on its Ad & Commerce Blog, announcing a new type of sponsored content marketers can purchase, the Washington Post observed. This new type of ad will be featured in Google’s “AI mode” — the AI chatbot which users can open on the side of a Google search — as well as the company’s Gemini chatbot.
As an example for advertisers, Google offered a scenario where a user is interested in buying a new rug. With the new AI ads, Google’s AI mode could suggest a few sponsored rugs in response to user queries, instead of whichever rugs might have normally populated the results.
In addition to the new ad placement, Google announced the launch of a “business agent,” which it calls a “new way for shoppers to chat with brands, right on Search.”
“It’s like a virtual sales associate that can answer product questions in a brand’s voice, enabling retailers to connect with consumers during critical shopping moments and help drive sales,” the blog reads.
Based on the information provided, this is basically a branded chatbot within Google’s AI mode chatbot, where users can “ask” companies like Lowe’s about the difference between different floor tiles, without having to enter the Lowe’s website directly (which, maddeningly enough, has its own proprietary AI shopping agent called Mylow.)
If this just sounds like an even crappier version of the already degraded Google experience, you might not be far off. Google’s AI mode has been plagued with errors from the start, throttling traffic to publishers and hampering users with a poor search experience that discourages further engagement.
So while users might be growing wary of Google’s AI search tools, they can at least be sure of its money-hungry motives going forward.
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