Google adds AI disclosure feature to ads

Google will soon let users see whether an ad was created or edited with artificial intelligence. Sarah Perez reports for TechCrunch that the feature expands to all ads on Search, YouTube and Discover, not just political ones.

Businesses increasingly use AI to generate product images, place items in different settings, and cut costs on traditional photography. Google permits this practice, but until now only election ads had to disclose synthetic content. That distinction disappears with the new update.

How the disclosure works

The feature lives inside Google’s “My Ad Center,” a panel users can open by clicking the three-dot menu or the info icon next to an ad. The panel already lets people block ads, report them, or learn more about the advertiser. A new option called “How this ad was made” now shows whether AI played a role in creating or editing the ad.

When advertisers use Google’s own generative AI tools, the disclosure switches on automatically. If they build an ad elsewhere, they must manually flag AI involvement using a new control. Google says it will not independently verify these claims. In some regions, ads may also carry an AI label because local law requires it.

For content professionals, the update signals a broader shift toward transparency in AI-generated marketing material. As synthetic imagery becomes harder to distinguish from real photography, disclosure tools like this one could shape how brands present their products and how audiences interpret what they see online.