Google's Experiment with AI-Generated Search Ads

Google has initiated an experiment involving the integration of advertisements in search results generated by artificial intelligence using Gemini technology. This was reported by 9to5Google.
The first to notice this innovation was SEO consultant Brodie Clark. According to him, ads appear at the bottom of the responses generated by the chatbot and are marked as "sponsored" content. Visually, these links are almost indistinguishable from the regular links created by AI.
Currently, the new AI search interface does not offer an option to hide these ad placements. Google had previously announced an option to hide sponsored results in traditional search, but such settings do not seem to apply to AI mode.
Google stated that this is only a test announced back in May of this year. The company assures that ads will not be shown to all users. Google also told 9to5Google that it currently has no plans to fully integrate advertising into AI mode. Nonetheless, the experiment indicates a search for monetization pathways for AI services.
The testing of ads in AI mode has already sparked discussions about the future of such solutions. Chatbots are currently positioned as personal assistants, and the introduction of ad blocks in their responses might negatively alter user perceptions.