Google tested a small AI label on ads in YouTube Shorts

A small AI icon was spotted next to the sponsored ad information on YouTube Shorts ads, signalling that the creative may have been made or edited with AI. It appears to be a test rather than a general rollout.

• The label is a small AI icon shown next to the sponsored ad information in the Shorts ad unit.
• Spotted by Arpan Banerjee on LinkedIn.
• It extends the AI disclosure work Google started in July 2026 with the "How this ad was made" panel in My Ad Center across Search, YouTube and Discover.