Google Ads is testing loading the sponsored results in the mobile search results interface with an animation. It shows that Gemini is also involved by saying, "Evaluating sponsored results" and has a Google and Gemini logo as the ads load in.
This was spotted by Sachin Patel who posted a screenshot - not a video - of the animation on Search Engine Watch - here is his screenshot:
It looks like Google Search is loading an AI Overview but the header says sponsored results.
Sachin said "the sponsored results now show a loading animation before the ads actually appear."
This is an interesting test, less so on the animation to load the ads and more so that maybe Google Ads is trying to be powered by Gemini in Google Search?
Forum discussion at X.
Update: Google told me this is a small experiment and Google is not using Gemini for loading ads. A Google spokesperson told me:
"This is a small experiment where we signal to users that content is loading. We are not using Gemini to load sponsored results within Google Search."
So why show the Gemini logo if Gemini is not involved? Google told me that it is testing different loading animations, both with and without the Gemini logo, to signal to users that content is loading. The Gemini logo is also to signify to searchers that AI features exist on the page. Gemini is not doing anything with these ads outside of the logo being there for cosemtic purposes, I guess.
