Digital advertising specialist Dan Kabakov flagged on LinkedIn that AI Max, Google’s automation layer for Search campaigns, is showing as active within certain Google Ad Grants accounts that never turned it on. Search Engine Land relayed the observation on October 19. Google has not said whether this is a deliberate program-wide change or an isolated pattern.
The stakes are specific to the grants program. Ad Grants accounts must keep click-through rate above a minimum threshold, and AI Max loosens keyword matching while adjusting ad text to inferred intent. Wider matching can bring extra impressions that earn no clicks, which drags CTR down. Accounts already hovering near the floor carry the most exposure.
The upside is real but unproven. Broader matching could surface a nonprofit for donation, volunteering, or service queries it missed before.
Grant managers should open campaign settings today to confirm whether AI Max is on, then compare CTR trends against the search terms report before the change costs an account its eligibility.
Search Engine Land, Anu Adegbola, October 19, 2026.
