Recent claims that Google is preparing to place ads on its AI chatbot, Gemini, have been firmly denied by Google. It was previously claimed that Gemini, which is rapidly gaining popularity, would launch ads in 2026, but the company has now confirmed that this information is false.

“No Current Plans”

According to an AdWeek report published today, Google informed its “ad clients” that it plans to bring ads to its AI chatbot, Gemini, in 2026. The report suggests that these ads will be separate from the ads currently available in Search, which feature AI Mode and AI Overviews.

However, Google quickly responded by stating that these claims are untrue. Google Global Advertising Vice President Dan Taylor emphatically denied the allegations in a social media post:

“There are no ads in the Gemini app, and there are no current plans to change that.”

Taylor also argued that the AdWeek report was “based on uninformed, unnamed sources and contains false claims.” Google’s AdLiaison account echoed this statement, summarizing the situation:

“…In summary, there are no ads in the Gemini app, and there are no current plans to change that. Ads are available in AI Overviews in the US and are expanding to more English-speaking countries. We are continuing to test ads in AI Mode.”

This discussion comes at a time when Gemini is experiencing significant growth in its user base. Last October, Google announced that Gemini’s monthly user base had surpassed 650 million. This figure represents a significant jump from the 350 million users announced earlier in the year.

A significant portion of this growth came from its image creation and editing tool, Nano Banana. Google stated that this feature alone brought in 23 million new users.

While Google remains committed to keeping Gemini an ad-free platform for now, it continues to test ads in AI Overviews and AI Mode. It appears the global debate over the monetization of AI chatbots will not end anytime soon.