Singapore – Google has introduced a new set of AI-driven tools for Search and YouTube, aimed at addressing the growing complexity of digital marketing and consumer behaviour.
Unveiled during Google Marketing Live Southeast Asia (GML SEA) in Singapore, the tools include Asset Studio, AI Max for Search, Ads in AI Overviews, AI Mode, YouTube Creator Partnerships Hub, and new agentic capabilities in Google Ads and Google Analytics.
Among the updates is ‘Ads in AI Overviews,’ part of Google’s broader AI integration in Search. AI Overviews is contributing to more commercial queries and a 10% increase in relevant search activity in key markets. Ads within this feature are expanding to desktop in the US, with further rollouts planned for mobile and desktop in English across the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia later this year.
‘Asset Studio’ is a new workspace in Google Ads that uses generative AI—including models like Imagen and Veo—to generate a wide range of creative assets. The tool is intended to streamline asset creation and testing at scale.
‘AI Max for Search’ leverages Google’s Gemini models to automatically match ads to relevant queries without relying on extensive keyword lists. Instead, it analyses websites and ad content to generate targeted headlines and placements.
Meanwhile, ‘AI Mode’ introduces a more advanced form of AI Search, supporting longer queries, follow-up questions, and multimodal inputs. Testing of integrated ads within AI Mode is expected to begin in the US, offering additional opportunities for advertisers in conversational contexts.
On the creator side, Google launched the ‘YouTube Creator Partnerships Hub,’ a tool that helps brands discover and collaborate with YouTube creators based on keyword, category, or trend. The hub is now live in Singapore and Indonesia, with other markets to follow.
Lastly, Google previewed agentic AI capabilities for Ads and Analytics. These features can generate, optimise, and maintain campaigns by analysing landing pages and performance data. In practice, this translates to automated keyword suggestions, creative adjustments, and instant insights—reducing manual work and enabling more strategic focus.
The announcements at GML SEA reflect Google’s broader push to move digital advertising from reactive to predictive, using AI to better align with changing consumer behaviours and fragmented customer journeys.
Sapna Chadha, vice president of Google Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier, said, “For years, we’ve been at the forefront of AI-driven advertising. As consumer journeys become more complex—and resources more limited—we’re equipping marketers with our most advanced models yet: more intelligent, more agentic, and more personalised. That means faster creativity, wider reach, sharper insights, and better results.”
“At today’s Google Marketing Live, we introduced new AI tools that span the entire marketing journey—from creative to performance, brand discovery, and agentic capabilities—and showcased how brands in Southeast Asia are already unlocking real value with AI,” she added.
