Google AI Max. September for some campaigns. February for DSA.
Google will auto-upgrade some Search campaigns to AI Max starting in September 2026.
This is not Gemini advertising. It is still Google Ads. It is still a regular Search campaign. AI Max is an automation package inside Search. It can match queries beyond your keywords, and it can sometimes write headlines and descriptions. It does not replace all Search ads. It mainly replaces older automation settings: Automatically Created Assets and campaign-level broad match.
This applies if the campaign uses Automatically Created Assets, campaign-level broad match, or both.
Dynamic Search Ads are not on that clock. Google delayed the DSA auto-upgrade to February 2027. Do not mix the dates.
If you sit, Google ports your old settings into AI Max. That is not you choosing the setup. The platform can own the query map.
Sellers who only watch Amazon still run Search. Treat Google as a channel.
Do not panic-rebuild every account in a day. First, find the campaigns that actually have Automatically Created Assets or campaign-level broad match. Those are on the September clock. Leave DSA on the February 2027 calendar. Take control of the map before the auto-upgrade writes it for you.