By Kavita Mistry 
In a strategic move to stay ahead in the digital advertising race, Google is now planning to show ads within conversations with AI chatbots. This marks a new direction for its AdSense for Search platform, which traditionally displayed ads in website search results. The new approach aims to integrate monetization directly into conversational AI experiences.
AI Startups Join Google’s Experiments
According to Bloomberg, Google has already begun testing this feature with AI search app startups like iAsk and Liner. These trials, conducted over the past year, are part of Google’s broader attempt to adapt its advertising business to the growing popularity of generative AI platforms. A Google spokesperson confirmed that AdSense for Search is now available for websites that want to show relevant ads in chatbot interfaces.
Rising Threats to Google Search
Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, Google’s dominance in search has come under significant pressure. Many users have started turning to AI chatbots for quick, reliable answers—potentially bypassing traditional search engines altogether. While Google has responded by launching its own AI chatbot and introducing AI-generated overviews in search results, it now faces stiff competition from emerging players.
Perplexity AI and Other Challengers
Among the most notable threats is Perplexity AI, led by Aravind Srinivas. This platform offers a search-like interface powered by multiple AI models, including OpenAI’s GPT and China’s DeepSeek. With growing user interest, Perplexity represents a serious challenge to Google’s search traffic and ad revenues.
Ongoing Antitrust Challenges
Adding to Google’s woes, a US federal judge recently ruled that the company violated antitrust laws by monopolizing the open web digital advertising market. The ongoing remedy hearing could significantly affect how Google operates its search and ad businesses moving forward.
Conclusion
By introducing ads in AI chatbot conversations, Google is taking a proactive step to protect its revenue in an evolving digital landscape. However, with increasing competition and regulatory challenges, the future of Google’s search empire is being tested like never before.