Google used Marketing Live 2026 on May 20 to announce the expansion of AI Max (its fastest-growing AI-powered Search ads product) to Shopping campaigns and travel formats, while introducing Ask Advisor, a unified Gemini-built agent that spans Google Ads, Google Analytics, Merchant Center, and Google Marketing Platform as an always-on strategic partner.
AI Max for Shopping uses Merchant Center feeds to create dynamic Shopping ads that answer conversational queries, offering advertisers a one-click upgrade for incremental reach on long-tail searches. A new AI Brief capability (powered by Gemini) allows advertisers to guide AI through three guideline types: messaging guidelines that control ad copy, matching guidelines that set search capture boundaries, and audience guidelines that reach specific demographics with tailored messages.
The platform also announced that every eligible Dynamic Search Ads campaign will automatically upgrade to AI Max beginning September 2026. Google’s recommended campaign default is now Performance Max, Demand Gen, and AI Max running together rather than operated independently.
Brandon Ervin, Director of Product Management at Google Ads, stated: “As AI Max turns one, we are helping you capture even more opportunities in the expanding Search universe.” For advertisers, the shift means less manual campaign configuration and more strategic governance of AI-driven decisions across search, shopping, and display inventory simultaneously.
Related: Meta Advantage+ approaching full campaign automation | Google expanding AI Max across its ad stack
Source: Google
