Google is set to introduce advertisements within its AI Overviews, meaning users will soon encounter product suggestions within the search engine's AI-generated summaries.

If a person wants Googles how to change a light bulb, the AI will tell them how to do it but recommend products that could assist in the task – such as light bulbs and stepladders. These products will be displayed under a "sponsored" header.

A spokesGoogle said that the ads will appear only if the query has a "commercial angle" so you probably will not be bothered if you do an AI search on Plato’s impact on pre-Newtonian physics.

Google has been trialling ads in AI Overviews since May and is now proceeding with a full rollout. It asserts that it aids users in "quickly connecting [ing] with relevant businesses, products and services to take the next step at the exact moment they need them."

This is company-speak for “users did not notice it and we think we can get away with it.”

Currently, these ads will be limited to AI Overviews on mobile devices in the United States. Similarly, Microsoft incorporates ads in its Copilot chatbot and has recently modified its presentation within responses.

Additionally, Google is refining the format of AI Overviews. Following an August trial, cited webpages will be more prominently displayed on the right side of the summary, a change that has reportedly "driven an increase in traffic to supporting websites compared to the previous design."

Moreover, Google is launching AI-organised search pages, a feature that presents a customised results page with pertinent information rather than a list of links. This feature is available only on mobile devices in the US for searches related to recipes and meal ideas.