Google Places Travel Ads in Startup AI Search Engine Results

This is the first time that the public can see Google testing ads for the future of AI-generated search results.

Google is now placing ads for travel companies within the search results of some generative AI search engines.

Similar to ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, there are many startups developing their own versions of AI search engines. Through a connection with Google’s Ads program, those startups can now display ads within their normal search results, as Bloomberg first reported.

At least one of those startups, iAsk, shows sponsored posts from travel companies in response to user prompts about travel. Skift asked the iAsk chatbot several questions about traveling to New York City. The