Days after OpenAI rejected plans to include advertisements in ChatGPT, Google’s VP of Global Ads Dan Taylor has also denied plans to include ads in Gemini. This comes after an Adweek report citing Google representatives stated that dedicated ad placements for Gemini were being considered for future rollout.
According to the Adweek report, advertisers were informed on recent calls that Gemini could receive its own ad inventory separate from the AI-powered search experience, which was launched earlier this year. Media buyers, on the other hand, stated that the discussions lacked concrete details, such as mockups, price points, or formats.
However, Google said that the claims are incorrect. Taylor publicly rejected the X report, calling it “incorrect” and stating that the Gemini app does not serve ads and that the company has no plans to add them at this time.
This comes as the industry is already preparing for the possibility of conversational AI becoming the next potential marketing option. Many speculations about various chatbots, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, have surfaced online.
Recently, many ChatGPT paid subscribers reported receiving ad-like suggestions. To clear the air, the ChatGPT creator stated that these brand-like suggestions were not paid promotions, but rather part of an experimental feature highlighting third-party apps built on its platform. However, OpenAI admitted that it had missed the mark in the execution.
ChatGPT’s Nick Turley confirmed that no ad tests are currently underway, while Chief Research Officer Mark Chen admitted that some suggestions resembled advertisements and were later disabled. In the meantime, the company has declared code red and is focussing on improving the chatbot rather than expanding its operations.