[UPDATE] Ad load in AI answers grows: AI Mode shows up to four ads; Adthena tallies 204k ChatGPT ad placements
Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google AI Mode can now show up to four ads for one query, up from the one to three usually seen, and that ads on follow-up queries are coming in the U.S. An Adthena report released Nov 4 via GlobeNewswire counted 204,489 ChatGPT ad placements from June to September 2026 and year-over-year growth in Google AI Overview ad appearances (US +89%). This is a vendor report and has not been independently verified. Also on Nov 4, Search Engine Roundtable relayed a claim by OpenAI's Adam Fry that ChatGPT's search-like query volume is roughly one-fifth of Google's; OpenAI disclosed no underlying totals. Points to watch: holiday-season ad density and pricing in AI answer surfaces.