Google's AI Max FAQ page now says eligible accounts may see a 1-click experiment on the Recommendations page. Choose 'Create 1-click experiment automatically' and Google sets up a 50/50 split: your current Search campaign on one side, an AI Max version on the other, with no manual setup. In experiments built from the Experiments tab, you can also switch Search term matching or Asset optimisation on or off for single ad groups in the AI Max arm. Not every account will see the 1-click option.
AI Max experiments already existed. The news is how easy Google has made it to say yes, right as brands set their Black Friday budgets. My read: Google wants more Search spend running through AI Max, and the Recommendations page is where it nudges people in.
That doesn't make the test a bad idea. A 50/50 split against your own campaign is the cleanest way to judge AI Max, far better than switching it on everywhere and squinting at the total. That's our Google rule in action: clean data in, better results out.
The per-ad-group switches matter more than the button. They let you keep tight control of the ad groups where your own copy and landing page do the selling (your best sellers and bundles) and let AI Max explore elsewhere. Control the offer, not just the bid.