Google Ads AI Will Resize Your PMax Videos. Opt Out by Sept 4

Google Ads is adding generative AI to Performance Max campaigns that will automatically reformat existing video ads into aspect ratios that are missing from an advertiser's asset library. The change is opt-out, not opt-in, and advertisers who want to block Google from modifying their creative must act by September 4. The update was first surfaced by JXT Group founder Menachem Ani, who shared the communication he received on X.

What happened

Detail	Fact
Feature	Generative AI resizes existing PMax videos into missing aspect ratios
Formats covered	Horizontal converted to vertical and square
Opt-out deadline	September 4
How to opt out	Contact account management team or submit Google’s opt-out form
Alternative	Change video settings at any time within the Google Ads account
First reported by	Menachem Ani, founder of JXT Group, via X

Google says the goal is to maximise video ad reach while improving the viewing experience for each placement. Rather than waiting for advertisers to supply every format, Google’s system will now generate the missing ones itself using generative AI.

This builds on video enhancement tools Google already offers inside Performance Max, which can flip a horizontal video into a vertical or square crop. The new layer goes further by using generative AI to extend or adapt the original creative, not just reframe it.

Why it matters for your ad account

Performance Max already makes most placement and bidding decisions automatically. Creative is one of the few levers advertisers still control directly. This update narrows that space further.

On the upside, if you have a solid 16:9 video but no 9:16 cut for YouTube Shorts or mobile inventory, Google can now fill that gap without you commissioning a separate edit. For small teams with limited production budgets, that has genuine value.

The risk sits with brand control. A generative AI resize can introduce visual inconsistencies, crop key product details awkwardly, or produce frames that fall outside brand guidelines. These are problems that may not surface until an ad is already live. Advertisers in regulated industries or with strict visual standards should be especially cautious.

The structure here also matters: this is opt-out, not opt-in. Google will start applying the feature by default unless you take action before September 4. That deadline is easy to miss if you are not actively watching for account communications. If you work with a Google Ads agency or specialist, flag this to them now.

Is this part of a bigger pattern?

Yes. Google has been steadily pushing Performance Max from a media-buying tool into a full creative production system. Earlier expansions gave PMax the ability to generate text assets and image variations. Video resizing via generative AI is the next step in that direction.

The logic from Google’s side is clear: the more assets it can generate, the more inventory it can fill, and the more it can optimise toward conversion. From the advertiser’s side, each automation layer is one more thing to audit. Our earlier look at how AI tools are reshaping search behaviour gives some context on why Google is pushing so hard into automation right now.

What to do about it

1. Log into your Google Ads account and review which Performance Max campaigns include video assets.
2. Decide whether you want Google to auto-generate resized versions of those videos.
3. If not, contact your Google account management team or submit the opt-out form before September 4.
4. If you are comfortable with AI resizing, check the output once it goes live by previewing ads across formats inside the account.
5. Set a recurring review for video assets in PMax so you catch future default-on features early.

Our take

This is a reasonable feature with a problematic rollout model. Generating aspect ratio variants automatically is genuinely useful for advertisers who lack the production resources to cover every format. But making it opt-out, with a hard deadline, puts the burden on the advertiser to notice a policy change and act on it in time. That is a pattern Google has used before, and it consistently catches people off guard.

Before you opt in passively, pull up your PMax video assets and ask honestly: would a machine-generated 9:16 crop of this video represent your brand the way you want? If the answer is uncertain, opt out, produce the format yourself, and add it back to the campaign. The reach gains from auto-generated variants rarely outweigh the damage of a poorly framed product shot running at scale.

Source: Search Engine Land