Google is testing place ads in AI chatbots

AI chatbot ads are here—just not where you’d expect them.

According to Bloomberg, Google has started testing AdSense ads inside some third-party AI chatbots, including iAsk and Liner. The program began earlier this year and is currently limited to developers who opt in. Still, it’s a clear sign of what’s coming: chat, but monetized.

Until now, most bots avoided ads. But the reality is, AI isn’t cheap to run. Even OpenAI doesn’t expect to be profitable until 2029. Smaller startups need a way to make money fast—or they won’t survive.

This is where Google steps in. By offering its existing ad tech, chatbot makers can now plug into AdSense just like websites do. A spokesperson confirmed that AdSense for Search is available “for websites that want to show relevant ads in their conversational AI experiences.”

It’s not the first time Google’s done this. Last year, they started showing ads in Search’s AI-generated Overviews. This move just extends the same idea into the chat space.

It might feel weird at first—ads inside private conversations—but this was always going to happen.

Running a chatbot isn’t cheap. OpenAI reportedly won’t break even until 2029. So if the leader in the space is still burning money, smaller startups have no chance without a revenue plan. Wherever people spend time, ads eventually follow. And in the age of AI, conversations are just another surface.