If "AI answers" are the future of web search -- at least that's the common wisdom these days -- then it appears search ads will turn into paid mentions as part of the AI answers.

Overt and covert strategies are possible. Like mentioning the product or vendor overtly, or not mentioning them at all, but claiming that some feature X is absolutely required (but only the paid vendor provides it).

In other words, web search will be entirely corrupted, and nobody will be able to tell how.