Liam Walsh
Liam is a Co-Director at Intelligency and heads up the agency's Digital Intelligence & Paid Social activity. Over the last decade, he has worked with brands from the world of sports such as Premier League clubs to entertainment such as Channel 4 and Disney.
Reports recently surfaced claiming that Google plans to introduce advertising into its Gemini AI chatbot in 2026. For marketers, this immediately raised questions about how Google might monetise AI, and how ads could appear inside conversational tools. Google has since pushed back on those claims.
According to the company, there are currently no ads in Gemini and no confirmed plans to add them.
The speculation began with a report suggesting Google had briefed advertisers on future plans to place ads inside Gemini. If true, this would mark a significant shift, transforming Gemini into a new advertising surface, similar to Search or YouTube.
Given Google’s advertising-first business model, the idea wasn’t hard to believe. AI tools are expensive to run, and marketers are watching closely to see where paid placements may appear next.
What has Google said in response?
Google responded quickly and publicly. Dan Taylor, Google’s Vice President of Global Ads, stated that the report was based on inaccurate information and anonymous sources. He confirmed that Gemini is ad-free today and stated that there are no plans to introduce ads.
Google’s Ads Liaison team backed up that message, reinforcing the company’s stance and aiming to calm concerns across the industry.
Ads are appearing in other AI Experiences
While Gemini itself remains ad-free, Google is already experimenting with ads in other AI-powered areas. Ads currently appear in AI Overviews within Search, and Google has acknowledged testing advertising in its AI Mode.
From a marketing perspective, this matters. It shows Google is actively exploring how ads can fit into AI experiences, just not directly inside Gemini, at least for now.
What should we take from this?
For now, Gemini isn’t an advertising channel. But the bigger picture hasn’t changed. Google is clearly testing where AI and advertising intersect.
Marketers should expect AI-driven ad formats to continue expanding across Search and beyond. Even if Gemini stays ad-free in 2026, the conversation signals what’s coming next, and why staying informed is essential.
