Google to Mandate AI Ad Disclosure in My Ad Center

Google is rolling out a new feature designed to inform users when advertisements across its platforms have been created or significantly edited using artificial intelligence. This initiative, set to be integrated into the “My Ad Center,” aims to provide greater transparency in digital advertising, particularly as AI tools become more prevalent in content creation.

The move comes as generative AI makes it increasingly easier for businesses to produce sophisticated ad creatives, place products in diverse settings, and reduce costs associated with traditional e-commerce photography. While these advancements offer significant benefits to advertisers, they also raise concerns about potential misinformation if consumers are unaware that certain visual or textual elements are synthetically generated.

Enhancing Transparency for Users

The new disclosure feature will enable users to see if an ad leveraged AI for its creation or modification. This capability will be accessible globally through the “My Ad Center” panel, which users can reach by clicking the three-dot menu or the info icon on ads displayed across Google Search, YouTube, and Google Discover. This panel already offers functionalities such as blocking or reporting ads and learning more about advertisers.

Users will now find an additional option labeled “how this ad was made,” which will clearly indicate AI involvement. This is a significant step beyond Google’s previous policy, which only mandated AI disclosure for election-related advertisements.

Advertiser Responsibilities

Google states that when advertisers utilize its proprietary generative AI advertising tools, the AI disclosure will be automatically applied. However, if an advertisement is created using third-party AI tools or platforms, advertisers will be required to manually indicate AI involvement through a new control within Google’s ad management system. Google will not independently verify whether such ads used AI; the responsibility for accurate disclosure rests with the advertiser. In certain regions, local regulations may also necessitate AI labeling, leading to automatic disclosure.

Key facts:

Feature	Detail
What	Disclosure of AI-generated or edited advertisements
Where	Google Search, YouTube, Google Discover via “My Ad Center”
How	“How this ad was made” option in ad panel
Responsibility	Automatic for Google’s AI tools; manual for third-party AI tools

Impact on Digital Marketing and Consumer Trust

This development is particularly relevant for the Indian digital marketing landscape, where AI adoption is rapidly growing. As businesses in India increasingly leverage AI for creating targeted and visually appealing campaigns, this disclosure mechanism will foster greater trust between consumers and advertisers. It also emphasizes the growing need for ethical AI practices in marketing. For Indian consumers, understanding the origin of ad content can influence their perception and purchase decisions, particularly for products where authenticity and realistic representation are crucial.

The initiative aligns with broader global trends towards transparency in AI usage and content authenticity. It provides a framework for advertisers to be more accountable while empowering consumers to make more informed judgments about the content they encounter online. This could lead to a shift in how AI-powered creative tools are perceived and utilized within the advertising industry, encouraging responsible innovation.

Source: TechCrunch AI https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/09/google-will-now-disclose-which-ads-are-made-with-ai/