Google has begun introducing a new feature designed to help users determine whether an advertisement they're viewing was created using artificial intelligence. AI makes it simpler for businesses to generate ads, place their products in different contexts, and cut costs by avoiding traditional e-commerce photography. However, this technology can also be deceptive if consumers are unaware that the image they see isn’t a real product photo. Although Google already prohibits misleading and deceptive ads, an ad may still incorporate AI to produce synthetic or digitally altered content. Until now, Google only required election-related ads to disclose this kind of AI involvement.

The company announced that this new consumer-facing feature will be added to the “My Ad Center” panel, which is accessible worldwide by clicking the three-dot menu or the info icon on ads appearing across Google Search, YouTube, and Google Discover. This panel already allows users to block or report ads, learn more about the advertiser, or understand why a particular ad was shown. Now, users will also see a section labeled “how this ad was made,” which will specify if the ad was created or edited using AI. Google stated that when advertisers use its own generative AI advertising tools to produce ads, the disclosure will be automatically enabled. However, if the ad is created elsewhere, the advertiser must use a new control to indicate whether AI was involved—Google will not independently verify that information. In certain regions, ads may also be labeled as AI-generated if local regulations require it.