Google hasn’t added ads to its Gemini AI app yet—but it’s starting to consider it.
On a recent earnings call, Philipp Schindler said the company is open to introducing ads in the future, especially if they improve the experience rather than disrupt it. For now, Google’s focus is on ads within its AI-powered search experience (AI Mode), but successful formats there could eventually move into Gemini.
At the moment, the Gemini app remains ad-free. Earlier, Google executives even said there were no immediate plans to include ads. Instead, the company is prioritizing subscriptions and improving the overall product experience.
Still, Google sees ads as a proven way to scale products to billions of users. If implemented well, they could serve as useful, timely commercial information rather than distractions.
Meanwhile, competitors are taking different paths. OpenAI has begun testing ads in ChatGPT for some users, while Anthropic has publicly stated it won’t introduce ads in its model, Claude.
For now, Google has the advantage of a massive existing ads business across Search and YouTube, allowing it to delay monetizing Gemini directly. Instead, it’s expanding paid subscriptions, bundling advanced AI features with services like cloud storage and premium tools—helping grow its base of hundreds of millions of subscribers without relying on ads just yet.