https://sherwood.news/tech/ads-are-showing-up-on-googles-ai-mode-now/ TechTech Google AI Mode ads Google Search and Destroy Ads are showing up on Google's AI Mode now Hope it doesn't go the same route as Google Search! Rani Molla 11/21/25 12:59PM We knew it was coming, but that doesn't mean we have to like it. Google has officially turned on the ad spigot in AI Mode, the search giant's answer to OpenAI's ChatGPT. Ads started showing up in Google's AI Overviews about a year ago, and now they're coming to the company's flagship conversational search experience. That means the roughly 75 million daily active AI Mode users will see not only the AI's best guess at their queries, but also sponsored results alongside them. Ad Age reported this summer that in AI Mode, Google serves ads based on a person's conversation with the AI -- not just on keyword matches, as was the case in traditional Search. In my own quick tests -- about a dozen searches and short conversations -- I was served just one sponsored result: a link to a local car dealership tucked at the bottom of the answer, below other organic links. Google has to walk a fine line here. Advertising is its primary moneymaker, the engine that turned Search into one of the most powerful products on the planet. But Search also suffered from its own success, as results became increasingly clogged with sponsored content and SEO filler. One could argue that this ad saturation helped drive users toward AI competitors like ChatGPT, which, for now, remains blissfully ad-free. More Tech See all Tech techtech Jon Keegan7h OpenAI races to release updated ChatGPT in response to Gemini, the WSJ reports OpenAI could release an updated GPT-5.2 as soon as this week as it races to respond to Google's Gemini 3 chatbot. Last week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a "code red" in response to the threat, as Google appeared to leap to the front of the pack with its high-scoring AI model. Altman has directed OpenAI teams to pause work on its quest for AGI and the Sora 2 video generation app, and double down on its core flagship product, ChatGPT, as it faces new pressure from competitors, The Wall Street Journal reports. Altman seems to be panicking that if the company's core product falls out of favor, it may not be able to generate the cash needed to pay for the $1.4 trillion worth of deals it has signed, according to the report. [www] Sam Altman's Sprint to Correct OpenAI's Direction and Fend Off Google Sam Altman's Sprint to Correct OpenAI's Direction and Fend Off Google Sam Altman's Sprint to Correct OpenAI's Direction and Fend Off Google Altman has directed OpenAI teams to pause work on its quest for AGI and the Sora 2 video generation app, and double down on its core flagship product, ChatGPT, as it faces new pressure from competitors, The Wall Street Journal reports. Altman seems to be panicking that if the company's core product falls out of favor, it may not be able to generate the cash needed to pay for the $1.4 trillion worth of deals it has signed, according to the report. 900M Rani Molla7h OpenAI's ChatGPT is nearing 900 million weekly active users, according to a new report from The Information, up from 800 million in October. The Microsoft-backed chatbot has notably higher usership than Google's Gemini, which as of its last earnings call had 650 million monthly active users. (ChatGPT's monthly number is likely much higher than its weekly stats.) Still, The Information notes that thanks to the success of Google's latest AI model, app downloads have jumped and visits to its website are growing much more swiftly than those to ChatGPT's -- stats that have contributed to a "code red" situation at OpenAI. techtech Jon Keegan8h Falling behind its rivals and facing internal tension, Meta reportedly preps new "Avocado" AI model 2025 turned out to be quite a chaotic year for Meta's big AI dreams. This year was supposed to be all about Llama 4, Meta's open-source AI model that never fully launched. In a frenzied pivot to get back in the race, Mark Zuckerberg undertook an AI all-star hiring spree for his new Meta Superintelligence Labs, spending oodles of cash on NBA-sized pay packages to lure recruits. So how's it all going within the company? Things aren't exactly humming along, according to CNBC. It reports that the new team has encountered friction within Meta's corporate structure. The cloistered team is apparently working on a new frontier AI model code-named "Avocado," which, despite Mark Zuckerberg's passionate open-source AI manifesto, might turn out to be a proprietary, closed-source model. Per the report, the many in the company were expecting Avocado to be released before the end of this year, but it's now planned for Q1 2026. A Meta spokesperson said, "Our model training efforts are going according to plan and have had no meaningful timing changes." Updated to include comments from Meta [www] From Llamas to Avocados: Meta's shifting AI strategy is causing internal confusion From Llamas to Avocados: Meta's shifting AI strategy is causing internal confusionFrom Llamas to Avocados: Meta's shifting AI strategy is causing internal confusion In a frenzied pivot to get back in the race, Mark Zuckerberg undertook an AI all-star hiring spree for his new Meta Superintelligence Labs, spending oodles of cash on NBA-sized pay packages to lure recruits. So how's it all going within the company? Things aren't exactly humming along, according to CNBC. It reports that the new team has encountered friction within Meta's corporate structure. The cloistered team is apparently working on a new frontier AI model code-named "Avocado," which, despite Mark Zuckerberg's passionate open-source AI manifesto, might turn out to be a proprietary, closed-source model. Per the report, the many in the company were expecting Avocado to be released before the end of this year, but it's now planned for Q1 2026. A Meta spokesperson said, "Our model training efforts are going according to plan and have had no meaningful timing changes." Updated to include comments from Meta Rani Molla 8h Tesla is making even fewer Cybertrucks now than when it first started At an annualized production rate of less than 11,000, it's a "commercial failure." Cybertruck dead end 2Cybertruck dead end 2 techtech Rani Molla9h Microsoft invests tens of billions for AI infrastructure in India and Canada In two separate announcements this morning, Microsoft committed to investing tens of billions on AI infrastructure in India and Canada. In India, the company said it will invest $17.5 billion -- its largest-ever investment in Asia -- from 2026 to 2029, "to advance the country's cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, skilling, and ongoing operations." Microsoft also said it's adding to its investments in Canada for a total of CA$19 billion (roughly $13.73 billion) between 2023 and 2027 to "build new digital and AI infrastructure needed for the nation's growth and prosperity." This includes more than CA$7.5 billion in outlays over the next two years. Latest Stories Sherwood Media, LLC produces fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and is a fully owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate, including Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Securities, LLC, Robinhood Crypto, LLC, or Robinhood Money, LLC. * Privacy Notice * Disclosures * Terms and Conditions * Editorial Standards * Masthead * Your Privacy Choices * Advertising Disclaimers (c)2025 Sherwood Media, LLC