Google is introducing a new consumer-facing feature designed to help users identify when an ad has been created or altered using artificial intelligence.
The update reflects AI’s growing role in digital advertising, where marketers increasingly use the technology to generate creative assets, stage products in different environments and reduce the cost of traditional e-commerce photography. As those capabilities expand, so do concerns about transparency, particularly when consumers cannot easily distinguish between authentic and AI-generated product images.
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Bringing More Transparency To Ad Disclosures
Google has long prohibited deceptive advertising, but until now, disclosure requirements for AI-generated or AI-edited content were largely limited to election ads. The company is now extending that transparency to mainstream consumer advertising through its My Ad Center panel, which is accessible globally from the three-dot menu or information icon on ads shown in Google Search, YouTube and Google Discover.
The panel already gives users the ability to block or report ads, understand why they are seeing a particular promotion, and learn more about the advertiser. With the new update, users will also see a section labeled “How this ad was made,” which will reveal whether AI played a role in producing the creative.
What Advertisers Need To Know
According to Google, ads created with its own generative AI advertising tools will automatically include the disclosure. For ads produced using other tools, advertisers will need to indicate whether AI was involved through a new control in the ad workflow.
Google also said it will not independently verify whether externally created ads used AI, meaning the system relies on advertiser disclosure rather than platform-side detection. In certain markets, additional labeling may be applied to comply with local regulations.
A Small Label With Big Implications
The update may appear modest, but it reflects a broader shift in how digital platforms are responding to generative AI. As AI tools become more deeply integrated into marketing workflows, disclosure is emerging as an increasingly important part of maintaining consumer trust.
For advertisers, the change introduces another transparency requirement alongside the growing use of AI in creative production. For Google, it represents another step toward balancing the adoption of generative AI with greater visibility into how advertising content is produced.
