Google’s AI-powered transformation of its search engine will give the mega company a more captive audience than ever before - and what better way to turn those eyeballs into cash than by serving up new forms of AI-powered ads?

Announcements out of the Chocolate Factory’s I/O AI fest continued Wednesday with the premiere of what the company called “a new generation of ads” tailor-made “for the AI era of Search” that it decided you definitely need earlier this week.

As we mentioned in our earlier I/O coverage, Google announced what Search VP Elizabeth Reid called the “biggest upgrade in over 25 years” to Google Search. Those changes center on pushing Gemini 3.5 Flash deeper into Search and AI Mode, giving the engine the ability to “anticipate your intent” and surface more detailed AI-generated responses.

That doesn’t mean AI Mode is being made the default, mind you. Google told The Register that standard search engine result pages are still going to be the default for anyone doing a typical Google search, though AI responses will be served alongside results, we’re told. Any web search that returns an AI Overview, on the other hand, will include an option to follow up with the Overview in AI Mode, and AI Mode with rich content input can be selected from the Search box as well.