OpenAI recently started testing ads inside ChatGPT, and AI companies are already trying to figure out whether advertising inside an AI chatbot can work without annoying users. Now Google is making it clear that Gemini may not avoid that business model forever.
During Alphabet’s Q1 2026 earnings call, Google Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler was asked directly about ads in the Gemini app. He kept the answer measured, saying Google’s current focus is the free tier, subscriptions, and AI plans, while the company is working on monetizing AI Mode in Search first.
Could ads really come to the Gemini app?
While not revealing any immediate plans, Schindler did say that if Google finds an ad format that works well in AI Mode, the same idea could eventually be used in the Gemini app. Schindler also said that ads have helped Google scale products to billions of users before, as long as they are useful and shown at the right moment. That gives Google a familiar argument if Gemini ads arrive later, since ads can help keep a widely used product free. Google says it is not rushing that move.
Why are AI companies turning to ads now?
The push toward ads ultimately comes down to cost. AI chatbots need expensive computing power every time they generate a response, especially at the scale of hundreds of millions of free users. Subscriptions help, but they may not be enough on their own. Ads give companies another way to fund free access without locking every major AI feature behind a paid plan. Users may not like that trade-off, but it explains why OpenAI is testing ads and why Google is leaving Gemini open to the same path.
Why is Google moving carefully?
Google’s slow approach makes sense, since even OpenAI is still working through the tricky parts of putting ads inside chatbots. A recent report suggested that tracking ad performance in an AI chatbot could be harder than in regular Search. In Search, a query like “best laptop under $1,000” shows clear buying intent. In AI chatbots, that same decision can stretch across comparisons, follow-up questions, and budget changes. This makes it harder for advertisers to tell whether the ad actually helped drive a click or purchase, or whether it simply appeared during the chat without changing the outcome.
Google also has other reasons to move slowly. Search is still growing, and AI seems to be helping that growth. Schindler said people are asking more queries than ever. He pointed to AI Overviews, AI Mode, Lens, Circle to Search, Search Live, and AI-driven search ads as examples of how Google is adding AI across Search without replacing its core business.
