Google has announced that AI-powered Ads will appear in its search engine’s AI Overviews feature in Malaysia later this year. This was revealed at Google Marketing Live Southeast Asia (GML SEA) in Singapore and is designed to give businesses a new way to appear during high-intent search moments.
According to the company, AI Overviews is one of its most widely adopted generative AI products. It enhances traditional search by delivering concise, AI-generated summaries in response to complex queries – shifting Search from simple information retrieval to intelligent, context-aware assistance. According to the company, this evolution has driven over 10% growth in commercial queries across major markets, making it a “high-impact space” for advertisers.
With the addition of ads, Google says businesses will be able to surface their offerings directly within these summaries, reaching users at the moment when curiosity and consideration are at their peak. The feature will launch in English on both desktop and mobile in Malaysia, alongside other key Southeast Asian markets including the Philippines, Singapore, and Indonesia.
Given its initial rollout in the US and other countries in May this year, the arrival of ads in AI Overviews in Malaysia feels inevitable. Unfortunately, since the feature is directly integrated into Google Search, there is currently no way to disable it entirely.
(Source: Google Malaysia press release)
