Speaking amid growing debate around monetisation of AI assistants, Google has reaffirmed that advertising is not part of its immediate roadmap for Gemini, even as competing platforms begin to test ads.
In an interview during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, said the company has “no plans” to introduce ads into Gemini. The comments were made in a conversation with a technology journalist at the annual global gathering.
This marks the second time Google has publicly ruled out ads for Gemini. In December 2025, Dan Taylor, Vice President of Global Ads at Google, stated that “there are no ads in the Gemini app and there are no current plans to change that.” The clarification followed a report suggesting that Google had discussed potential ad placements in AI products with advertisers.
During the discussion, Hassabis also reacted to ChatGPT moving to introduce ads, expressing surprise at the timing. “It’s interesting they’ve gone for that so early… Maybe they feel they need to make more revenue,” he said. The remark highlighted Google’s confidence in its financial backing while leaving open the possibility of ads being considered at a later stage.
Google said its current priority is refining Gemini’s core capabilities rather than monetisation. Recent feature rollouts, including Nano Banana Pro, are aimed at strengthening the assistant’s performance across use cases and form factors.
“We don’t have any plans to do [ads] at the moment. I think we’re focusing on the core experience and the core technology of being a better assistant, first and foremost, in a much wider range of things and in more form factors,” Hassabis said.
He also flagged concerns around trust and bias if ads are introduced into personal AI assistants. “If you want a true universal assistant that you can trust and is personal to you… you’d want to know for sure that the things it was recommending to you were genuinely good for you and unbiased and untainted,” he said, adding that while ads could work, “there are many ways that could be done badly.”
Google has not ruled out ads for Gemini permanently, but remains firm that any such move is not on the horizon.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter
About us:
The Mainstream is a premier platform delivering the latest updates and informed perspectives across the technology business and cyber landscape. Built on research-driven, thought leadership and original intellectual property, The Mainstream also curates summits & conferences that convene decision makers to explore how technology reshapes industries and leadership. With a growing presence in India and globally across the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, the USA, the UK and Australia, The Mainstream carries a vision to bring the latest happenings and insights to 8.2 billion people and to place technology at the centre of conversation for leaders navigating the future.
