Google y YouTube redefinen el comercio digital con IA, creadores y búsqueda conversacional para ofrecer compras más rápidas, fluidas y personalizadas.

YouTube and Google are already preparing their roadmap for digital commerce and advertising in 2026. In their third annual letter, Vidhya Srinivasan, Vice President and General Manager of Advertising and Commerce, explained how the company is reinventing the shopping experience to make it more seamless, assistive, and personalized, asserting that speed and certainty in purchasing can go hand in hand thanks to artificial intelligence.

For its part, YouTube, the most-watched streaming platform in the US, has established itself as a fundamental space for product discovery. Creators have become the main trend influencers, and the company wants to go a step further: using AI to instantly connect brands with creator communities, transforming organic influence into real impact for advertisers.

«In 2026, we will build stronger connections between brands and creators, using AI to understand content and audiences and match them with products they truly love,» Srinivasan explains.

Reinventing Ads in the Era of Conversational Search

Search is no longer limited to keywords, and we’re now seeing how conversational questions, photos, and brainstorming are redefining how consumers discover products. AI Mode will allow ads to seamlessly integrate into these conversations, offering relevant purchase recommendations and clearly highlighting retailers.

In addition, Direct Offers, a new monetization format, will allow brands to present personalized offers to ready-to-buy users, including not only pricing but also loyalty benefits and product bundles.

Agency Commerce and Seamless Experiences

Agency commerce is definitely becoming a reality by 2026, and thanks to the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), shoppers will be able to interact with AI agents to shop securely and seamlessly, from Etsy to Wayfair, directly in AI Mode on Search and Gemini.

This new infrastructure is laying the foundation for a future where all commerce experiences are more efficient and personalized, from research to the final purchase decision.

Gemini 3 and AI as a Creative Partner

Advertising tools powered by Gemini 3 will continue to enhance campaign creativity and performance. With products like Nano Banana and Veo 3, advertisers can generate professional-quality content in minutes, while AI Max optimizes ad delivery and impact in real time.

In 2025, in the fourth quarter alone, Gemini was used to generate nearly 70 million creative assets, demonstrating that generative media is already a scalable reality.

Trust as a Fundamental Pillar

This entire ecosystem is built on privacy, security, and trust. As AI-assisted shopping grows, YouTube and Google maintain their data protection standards, ensuring that innovation goes hand in hand with responsibility.

“With this foundation established and an expansive moment ahead, we can reimagine what’s possible. Together, we can shape a new era where shopping is easier, but also a pleasure to discover and choose,” says Srinivasan.

Source: www.marketingdirecto.com