Google Ads is introducing a new disclosure requirement for advertisers using artificial intelligence.
The update adds AI transparency labels to ads across Search, YouTube, and Discover. It also requires advertisers using third-party AI tools to disclose when AI was used to create or edit an ad.
For marketers, change is less about embracing AI and more about documenting its use. Teams that rely on third-party AI tools may need to review their review process before campaigns go live.
How New AI Disclosures Work
Google is adding a new “How this ad was made” section to the My Ad Center panel.
Users can open the panel from the three-dot menu or info icon on ads across Search, YouTube, and Discover. The panel will show whether production AI was used to create or edit the ad.
How that disclosure occurs depends on which AI tools are used.
Ads created by Google’s AI advertising tools will receive automatic disclosure. Advertisers using third-party AI tools will have to implement self-disclosure through new controls in Google Ads.
Google explained:
…if they’re creating ads elsewhere, we’re introducing a controller so they can easily show if they’ve used AI for production.
Google has not identified specific third-party platforms. The requirement will apply to tools outside of Google’s advertising products.
Depending on local requirements, Google says the disclosure may appear directly in the ad instead of only in My Ad Center. The company hasn’t said which markets it will launch those labels in.
What This Means for Marketers
Many marketers already use generative AI to write copy, create images, or edit creative before it reaches Google ads.
The new requirement means teams will also need to document when those tools are used. That information may not be readily available if creative production and campaign management are handled by different people or teams.
For some organizations, that may mean revising existing approval processes so that the use of AI is documented before campaigns go live. Agencies may also need to ensure that client-supplied creative uses third-party AI tools before publishing ads.
Advertisers running campaigns in multiple countries may want to monitor performance when AI disclosures appear directly in ads. Google hasn’t yet identified which markets will display those labels, and it’s too early to know if they’ll have an impact on user behavior.
For many marketers, this is a minor workflow change. It doesn’t limit the use of third-party AI tools, but adds another disclosure requirement that teams will need to be accountable for before campaigns are published.
What is not clear
Google’s announcement leaves a few questions unanswered.
The company says the disclosure applies to ads created or edited with AI, but doesn’t define what qualifies as “created or edited.” It’s not clear whether micro-editing done by third-party AI tools needs to be disclosed or whether the requirement is aimed at more AI-generated art.
Google also hasn’t explained how the requirement applies when multiple AI tools are used during the creation process.
Forcing is another open question. Google has not said that advertisers who fail to disclose the use of third-party AI will receive warnings, policy violations, or ad disapproval.
Google also hasn’t shared when advertisers will be expected to start using the new display control or whether there will be a grace period before enforcement begins.
We will update this article as Google provides additional guidance.
