Google is expanding its AI capabilities in Google Ads with new tools designed to help advertisers create and optimize ad assets. The update includes AI-generated image creation, asset-audience recommendations, and new asset-testing features.

Group Product Manager at Google, Pallavi Naresh, announced the new features in a blog post, stating the new features will help advertisers improve creative performance. 

AI-generated image creation for ad campaigns

Google is introducing AI-generated image creation across Performance Max, Demand Gen, Display, and Apps campaigns. Advertisers can now use text prompts to generate images that include adult people and faces. 

Google says advertisers can refine their prompts by specifying age, gender, race, ethnicity, and nationality to generate more relevant images. And if advertisers don’t like what they see? They can modify the prompt, create variations, or even hide the AI-generated images altogether.

The feature is powered by Google’s Imagen 3 model, which it claims delivers more customizable and high-quality images. It also builds on what Google was already doing last year when it started auto-generating creative assets like images and videos based on content from advertisers’ web pages. 

Now, AI tools are becoming more sophisticated, giving advertisers more ability to produce creatives and Google is pushing that even further with its latest updates. But Google isn’t the only one introducing AI-powered creative tools. In October 2024, Pinterest rolled out ‘Performance+ Creative,’ which transforms basic product images into lifestyle visuals. Meta also has a generative AI feature that allows brands to turn static visuals into short videos. 

Asset-audience recommendations

Google is also introducing asset-audience recommendations. The feature is designed to enable advertisers to understand which creative elements perform best with their target audience. The company says this tool will analyze themes and elements that resonate most with top-performing audiences

In the coming weeks, advertisers will also start seeing AI-generated image suggestions to inspire new creative ideas. Google claims this will help advertisers refresh their assets without needing to create new ones from scratch.

New asset testing feature

Google is also launching a beta test for retailers with campaigns using product feeds. The feature will allow advertisers who haven’t uploaded additional creative assets to compare campaign performance with and without extra text, image, and video assets.

This update includes generative AI-created assets. Google says the goal is to help retailers understand the impact of adding creative elements to their campaigns.

‍