Chief business officer Philipp Schindler said on Google's Q1 2026 earnings call that ad formats tested in AI Mode for Search could later be used in Gemini.
The shift marks a change from January, when Google's ads vice-president said there were no plans for Gemini ads; Schindler said advertising could help scale products to billions.
Google already runs ads in AI Overviews, while Gemini offers paid subscriptions; Adweek reported planned Gemini placements for 2026, and OpenAI has begun showing ChatGPT ads to free users.
Could ads in Gemini AI undermine user trust, or can Google create a new ad model that benefits both users and advertisers?
As AI scales to billions, how will Google address ethical concerns like bias, privacy, and environmental impact in an ad-driven model?
With publishers losing web traffic to AI Overviews, will ad-supported AI accelerate the decline of traditional online media?