Google launches AI-powered advertiser features in push for automation

CALIFORNIA (Reuters): Alphabet’s Google said on Wednesday it is launching two new artificial intelligence-powered features for advertisers that will automatically find the best ad placements for brands across the tech company’s services.

AI has dominated the tech industry in recent months as Google and other companies have developed novel chatbots that can respond to users in open-ended conversations. AI is also being increasingly deployed to serve advertisers, who contribute to the companies’ revenue.

While Google has previously introduced AI tools for advertisers, it is now using the technology to help brands achieve more specific goals for their ads.

One of the new features called Demand Gen will use AI to place an advertiser’s photo and video ads across several products such as Gmail, the YouTube feed and Shorts, which is YouTube’s competitor to popular short-form video app TikTok.

AI will remove the need for advertisers to think about where they should place their ads, and the technology will focus on finding placements that are “shiny, visual and immersive,” said Vidhya Srinivasan, Google vice president and general manager of advertising.

The second new feature will use AI to find the best ad placements with the goal of maximizing views of a brand’s video ads, Google said.

Early testing shows that brands received on average 40% more video views with the new tool, Srinivasan said.

By using AI to remove some of the “grunt work” for advertisers, brands will be able to focus more on their marketing strategy and storytelling, she added.