Social Signals
Google image AI model can now generate humans for ads
Feb
Google announced new creative tools in Google Ads, leveraging its Imagen 3 AI model to generate lifestyle imagery across Performance Max, Demand Gen, Display, and Apps campaigns.
How it works. Advertisers can input specific prompts like “middle-aged man chopping carrots,” with options to customize age, gender, race, and ethnicity while maintaining control over final image selection.
Key features:
- Text-to-image AI generation for humans – a first for Google Ads.
- Asset-audience recommendations to improve ad targeting.
- Asset testing for Performance Max campaigns with feed-only strategies.
- AI-generated image suggestions coming soon for even faster creative development.
The big picture. AI-assisted ad creation is evolving rapidly, with Google introducing safeguards to prevent misuse:
- No AI-generated brand-name products
- No politicians or celebrities
- No minors
- No explicit or sensitive content
- All AI-created images labeled with SynthID
Why we care. Google’s latest AI-powered update enables businesses to generate images featuring humans, dramatically reducing the cost and time traditionally required for lifestyle photo shoots while offering unprecedented flexibility in creating diverse, targeted ad creative.
The ability to generate custom human images on-demand means advertisers can quickly test different demographics and scenarios in their ads, potentially improving campaign performance
Between the lines. Google is walking a fine line between automation and advertiser control. Marketers can guide image generation with prompts while maintaining final approval over creatives.
Bottom line. Google’s expansion of AI-generated ad content could significantly cut production time and costs while keeping ad content within strict safety parameters.
New on Search Engine Land
About the author
Anu Adegbola has been Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. She covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video and more.
In 2008, Anu’s career started with
delivering digital marketing campaigns (mostly but not exclusively Paid Search) by building strategies, maximising ROI, automating repetitive processes and bringing efficiency from every part of marketing departments through inspiring leadership both on agency, client and marketing tech side.
Outside editing Search Engine Land article she is the founder of PPC networking event – PPC Live and host of weekly podcast PPCChat Roundup.
She is also an international speaker with some of the stages she has presented on being SMX (US), SMX (Munich), Friends of Search (Amsterdam), brightonSEO, The Marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon, PPC Chat Live, AdWorld Experience (Bologna) and more.
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