On Thursday, Google announced it will add a “created or edited with AI” label to ads across Google Search, Discover and YouTube. The label does not appear directly on the ad; users must tap the three-dot menu or info button on an ad and then open a “how this ad was made” panel — the same interface used to block or report ads.
How the label works
Google said the tag is applied automatically to ads produced with Google’s own AI tools. Ads created with other means are labeled manually. Meta has already deployed a near-identical label for its ads.
Why it matters
This approach meets disclosure expectations on paper while minimizing impact on ad performance: regulators can point to a visible disclosure, but the tag is placed three taps deep in a menu users typically open only to remove or report an ad. As a result, the presence of the label is unlikely to change click-through rates or conversions for advertisers.
Analysis and implications
By putting the disclosure inside the panel used to manage problematic ads, Google’s implementation reduces the chance that typical viewers will see or act on the information. Critics argue this satisfies transparency requirements without affecting user behavior — an outcome that may be intentional. Observers compare the effect to cookie notices: legally present but functionally inconspicuous.
Summary
Google’s Thursday announcement introduces an AI disclosure for Search, Discover and YouTube ads that is automatically applied to ads made with Google’s AI and manually applied otherwise. Although the label fulfills a disclosure obligation, its placement inside a secondary info panel makes it unlikely to reach most users and therefore unlikely to alter advertiser results.
