Google is considering the possibility of charging for new premium artificial intelligence-powered search features, according to a report by the Financial Times. The company is looking at options such as adding AI-powered search features to its premium subscription services, which currently offer the Gemini AI assistant in Gmail and Google Docs. Despite this potential change, Google’s free search engine will remain free and ads will continue to be displayed even for subscribers. A Google spokesperson responded to the report by stating that they are not working on or considering an ad-free search experience at this time.
Google has been continuously working on reinventing search to help users access information in a more natural way. With generative AI experiments in search, the company has served billions of queries and has seen positive search query growth in all major markets. The search engine was initially launched in 1996, two years before Google was officially incorporated as a company, and has since become the leading search engine in the world. However, the recent introduction of free AI chatbots, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has brought significant changes to the tech world.
In response to the rise of AI chatbots, Google introduced its own chatbot called Bard in March 2023, which was later rebranded as Gemini with expanded capacities and the introduction of a subscription service in February. Last year, Google also allowed search engine users to sign up to test AI-powered results that could provide detailed answers to questions alongside web page links. This shift towards AI-powered features requires more expensive technological capacity, which may be a factor in Google’s consideration of charging for premium search features.
While Google has not announced any specific plans for charging for premium AI-powered search features at this time, the company continues to focus on enhancing its subscription offerings across various services. Google’s commitment to building new premium capabilities and services is evident in its ongoing efforts to improve the search experience and meet the evolving needs of users. As technology continues to advance and AI becomes more integrated into search engines, Google’s potential decision to charge for premium features reflects the changing landscape of the tech industry and the demand for innovative and efficient search solutions.
