Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins/Futurism. Source: Getty Images
In 2026, Google’s AI is adopting one of the internet’s oldest and finest traditions: sponsored content.
Over the weekend, Google released a short memo On its advertising and commerce blog, it announced a new type of sponsored content marketers can buy. Washington Post saw. This new type of ad will be displayed in Google’s “AI Mode” – AI chatbot Which users can open on Google search as well as on the company’s Gemini chatbot.
As an example for advertisers, Google offered a scenario where a user is interested in purchasing a new rug. With the new AI ads, Google’s AI mode can suggest certain sponsored asanas in response to user queries, instead of the asanas that might normally populate the results.
In addition to new ad placements, Google announced the launch of a “Business Agent,” which it calls “a new way for shoppers to chat with brands directly on Search.”
“It’s like a virtual sales associate that can answer product questions in the brand’s voice, helping retailers connect with consumers during key shopping moments and drive sales,” the blog reads.
Based on the given information, it is basically a branded chatbot Inside Google’s AI Mode chatbot, where users can “ask” about the differences between different floor tiles from companies like Lowe’s (which, oddly enough, has its own proprietary AI shopping agent), without having to enter Lowe’s website directly. called mylo.)
If this sounds like an even uglier version of this already humiliated Google Experience, you may not be too far off. Google’s AI mode has been plagued with errors since the beginning, Reducing traffic for publishers and hindering users poor search experience Which discourages further participation.
So while users may be wary of Google’s AI search tool, they can at least be reassured about its money-hungry motives.
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