Google begins monetising AI search results

Google has initiated a broad rollout of ads that will be integrated within and alongside the AI-generated summaries displayed at the top of select search results. This move aims to demonstrate to investors that expensive artificial intelligence projects can yield revenue.

Concerns among some investors regarding generative AI, the technology supporting Google’s AI summaries, potentially cannibalizing the tech giant’s search business, its most profitable division, have surfaced.

In May, the company announced the commencement of ad testing within these search summaries, known as AI Overviews, and now this feature is being expanded to all users in the US utilizing Google’s mobile app.

Sponsored panels placed above, below, and within the summaries are starting to suggest products related to the search query.

During a demo for journalists prior to the official announcement, a search for “how do I get a grass stain out of jeans?” resulted in AI-generated instructions followed by advertisements for Tide and OxiClean laundry products.

The company confirmed that it will not share ad revenue with publishers whose content is referenced in AI Overviews.

Google situates its AI Overviews, which provide summaries of search result contents, at the top of the page for specific queries. Initially introduced in May, they faced criticism for displaying inaccurate information and potentially reducing the need to click through to cited websites that would typically earn ad revenue from visits.

To address concerns of unfair advantage over competitors in the search and advertising technology sectors, which could impact advancements in AI, Google has faced pressure. The US Justice Department has filed two antitrust cases against the company, with a ruling in August determining that Google unlawfully monopolized the search business.

The DOJ is contemplating remedies such as compelling the search giant to share crucial search data with competitors, potentially for bolstering their AI tools and services, or even breaking up the company, as reported by Bloomberg. Furthermore, the DOJ has brought similar charges against Google’s ad tech unit.

In a separate development, the search giant announced the addition of inline links to sources utilized in AI-generated summaries. Initial tests indicated that these links directed more traffic to websites compared to the previous design with links at the bottom.

Moreover, Google is introducing organized search results tailored to the user’s query and account history, presented in scrollable lists. Initially limited to suggesting recipes to American users of Google’s mobile app, this feature, known as “AI-organized search results,” is being rolled out.

Furthermore, Google Lens, the visual search application, will now support the processing of video and voice inputs in addition to photos and text.

Source: MyBroadband