Google Starts Testing Ads in AI Mode for Personal Intelligence Users
Google is testing ads in AI Mode for users who connect Gmail and Photos. What Google says about health data, UAE availability and what clinics should do now.
Google has started testing ads in AI Mode for people who connect Gmail and Google Photos to Search through Personal Intelligence. In March it said these users would see no ads. Google says the ads are not based directly on someone's inbox or photos, and that it never personalises ads using health or other sensitive categories. The UAE is on the list of countries where adults can connect their apps, in Arabic and English. Google hasn't said which countries the ad test covers. UAE clinics don't need to switch anything on, but they should know how their Search ads become eligible for AI answers.
Last checked: 20 October 2026
What changed
On 19 October 2026, Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google confirmed to Search Engine Land it is "starting to test ads in AI Mode" for users who connect their apps through Personal Intelligence. Ads already appear in AI Mode. What's new is showing them to people who have linked their own Google content to Search.
This reverses Google's earlier position. In March, Google told Search Engine Land there were "currently no ads" for users who connect their apps to AI Mode, while saying ads would probably come later.
Google has also updated its Search Help page on connecting content apps. It now says:
- Ads will not be based directly on a person's Gmail inbox or Google Photos library.
- When apps are connected, Search may use summaries, excerpts and inferences from them to personalise answers. Google says that same information may also be used to show ads.
- Google does not show personalised ads based on sensitive categories, including race, religion, sexual orientation and health.
- Advertisers get no access to anyone's Gmail or Google Photos.
- Users choose whether to connect apps and can disconnect them at any time.
Does this reach the UAE?
Partly, and the details matter. Google's help page lists the United Arab Emirates among the countries where users aged 18 and over can connect content apps to Search. Arabic and English are both supported languages. Gmail can be connected. Calendar connection is US-only in English, and Google says Photos isn't available in every region.
What Google hasn't said is where the ad test is running. Neither the help page nor the reports name the test markets. So UAE users may be able to connect their apps today without seeing these ads yet.
Healthcare also has a separate limit in another AI surface. Google's help page on ads and AI Overviews says ads inside AI Overviews are available in English in 12 countries, and the UAE isn't one of them. It also says Google currently doesn't show ads in AI Overviews for sensitive verticals, and healthcare is on that list. Ads above and below AI Overviews can still serve in every market where AI Overviews run. Google hasn't said whether the same healthcare exclusion applies to the AI Mode test.
What this means for clinics and healthcare businesses
Your health ads won't be targeted using a patient's private data. Google's own wording rules out personalising ads on health. A clinic can't buy its way to "people whose emails mention a dermatology appointment", and that was never allowed under Google's Health in personalized advertising policy either.
Query relevance still decides who sees you. When Google first discussed this, it said ads for connected users would stay relevant to the search, the answer and the user's interests. For a clinic, that means the patient's actual question and your landing page do the work, not a hidden data signal.
AI answers favour broad, AI-driven matching. In its AI Overviews guidance, Google says ads are matched to both the query and the AI answer. It points advertisers to broad match, AI Max for Search, Performance Max, Shopping or Dynamic Search Ads. An account built only on exact-match keywords is less likely to appear next to long, conversational questions.
Broad reach needs tight control in healthcare. Broader matching can put a clinic in front of unrelated or non-commercial health questions. Strong negative keywords, a weekly search terms review and accurate conversion tracking keep spend on real patient enquiries.
What to do now
- Change nothing for the test itself. There is no opt-in or setting for Personal Intelligence ads. Eligibility comes from your existing Search and Performance Max campaigns.
- Check how your account matches searches. If every keyword is exact match, you are mostly absent from AI-style queries. Test broad match or AI Max on one treatment with a capped budget before rolling it out.
- Write landing pages that answer questions. AI answers pull in pages that explain price ranges, preparation, recovery and who a treatment suits. A page that only says "Book now" gives Google little to match.
- Keep ads within the rules. AI placements don't relax DHA, DoH or MOHAP advertising rules, or Google's healthcare policy. See how to advertise a clinic in Dubai and why healthcare ads get disapproved.
- Watch for a new placement in reports. Google hasn't announced separate AI Mode reporting for this test. Note 19 October in your account so any change in search terms or lead quality has context.
Want your clinic's campaigns ready for AI search without wasting budget? Talk to Access One.
Frequently asked questions
Can advertisers target people using their Gmail?
No. Google says ads won't be based directly on Gmail or Google Photos content, and advertisers get no access to either. Summaries and inferences from connected apps may shape which ads appear, but that happens inside Google.
Will my clinic's ads be shown based on a patient's health?
No. Google says it doesn't personalise ads based on sensitive categories, including health. Clinic ads still match on what the person searches for and the content of the answer.
Is Personal Intelligence available in the UAE?
Google's help page lists the UAE as a supported country for connecting content apps, for users aged 18 and over, in languages including Arabic and English. Google hasn't said which countries are in the ad test.
Do healthcare ads appear inside AI Overviews in the UAE?
Not today. Google's help page says ads inside AI Overviews run in English in 12 countries, not including the UAE, and healthcare is currently excluded. Ads can still show above or below AI Overviews.
Do I need a new campaign type to appear in AI Mode?
No. Google uses existing Search, Performance Max and Shopping campaigns. Broad match or AI Max helps your ads match the longer, conversational questions people ask in AI Mode.
Sources
- Search Engine Roundtable: Google Ads now in AI Mode with Personal Intelligence (19 October 2026)
- Search Engine Land: Google begins testing ads in AI Mode for users with Personal Intelligence enabled (19 October 2026)
- Google Search Help: Connect your Google content apps to Search services
- Google Ads Help: About ads and AI Overviews
- Google Advertising Policies Help: Health in personalized advertising
Published 20 Oct 2026 · Access One
What changed for our clients
UAE clinics, hospitals and home healthcare brands that scaled with Google Ads.
Valiant ClinicPremium clinicNew patients tripled in one quarter.
Rebuilt the account around high-intent searches, each with its own landing page.
Liv HospitalHospitalEvery lead source became easy to measure.
Offline conversions sent back to Google Ads, so the team sees where each booked patient came from.
Justlife Home HealthcareHome healthcareBooked patients per dirham roughly doubled.
Spend moved to Search around urgent needs like post-surgery care and elderly falls.
Doctors For YouHome healthcareClosing rate from under 8% to the high teens.
WhatsApp conversion tracking, Search rebuilt around intent and a new qualifying script.
Clinica RamitaAesthetic clinic, JumeirahWe've seen a real difference, not just with the number of leads, but in the quality of patients coming in.
Infinity DentalDental & aesthetic clinicAfter the Google campaigns were reworked, the leads became much more serious and relevant.
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