Google uses AI to place ads across the internet

Google’s ubiquitous AdSense ads are already heavily automated by their nature (they’re targeted based on a look at a site’s content), but it’s taking that hands-off approach one step further. The search firm has officially launched Auto Ads, a system that uses machine learning to not only determine the types of ads you see, but how they’re placed. The AI technology will decide how many ads are appropriate for a page and where to put them. Advertisers have to give up control, but Google has bet that they won’t mind the results. A long beta test saw publishers rake in an average of 10 percent more revenue.

There is a concern that trusting AI could create problems. Beta testers complained about ads crowing their pages, and there’s always the concern that it’ll serve fake ads or other dodgy promotions. While this could give small ad publishers an easy way to reach a wide audience, it raises the possibility of inappropriate ads not only surfacing on a website, but getting prominent placement. You may see more of the ads you’d actually want to click, but only if Google can be sure that its machine learning technology makes good judgment calls.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Google Support