Paid Media -> Helpful Assistant or Overconfident Intern
Google Ads AI: Helpful Assistant or Overconfident Intern?
The Scoop We tested Google Ads’ new AI tool by building four campaigns using its recommended copy, keywords, and structure.
Here’s the quick verdict:
What it does well
Google’s AI can spin up:
- Headlines and descriptions
- Keyword ideas
- Site links
It’s fast. Like “campaign live before your coffee gets cold” fast. If you’re staring at a blank account or need a jumping-off point, it’ll get you moving.
Where it falls short
Using AI-generated inputs alone, ad strength landed in “Poor” to “Average.” After swapping in human-written copy and tightening up the keyword strategy? → “Good” to “Excellent.”
Same campaigns. Same budgets. Just better thinking. Because AI can generate… but it doesn’t prioritize. It doesn’t challenge. It doesn’t ask, “Is this actually going to make money?”
The red flag
Google recommended:
- Broad match keywords
- AND “near me” variations
That’s redundant. Broad match already captures those variations, so now you’re stacking overlap, muddying intent signals, and risking wasted spend. That’s the kind of thing that looks fine in a machine-generated plan… and quietly eats your budget in the background.
The Titan take
“AI is built to scale quickly. It can help us to perform at super speed, but it still clearly needs human oversight. That’s where strategy and critical thinking take the lead. AI works off of historical data patterns, so while it can use what has worked in the past to make recommendations, it will struggle with new concepts and applications.
While AI is changing how quickly our industry can move, it is reinforcing that the human touch will allow us to stay connected to consumers and make the most efficient strides for clients. AI will always prioritize online first, because that's what it can analyze. At Irish Titan, it’s Business First. Online Second℠”- Stephanie Remley Digital Strategist
The takeaway
AI is a starting point, not a strategy. It’ll help you move faster. It won’t help you think better. Use it to generate ideas. Use it to skip the blank page. But if you’re relying on it to make decisions? You’re not optimizing—you’re outsourcing your judgment. And that’s NOT how you GROW.
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