Google is reportedly considering introducing paid “premium” features to its search engine that utilize generative AI (Financial Times) report April 2.
Google is exploring the possibility of incorporating AI-powered search capabilities into its existing suite of premium subscription services, people familiar with the matter told the paper.
The suite already includes access to Google’s latest AI innovations, including Gemini AI assistant integrated into Gmail and Google Docs.
The technical infrastructure for these premium features is under development, but Google executives have not yet made final decisions about their launch and details.
Breaking away from advertising revenue
Despite the proposed changes, Google’s traditional search functionality is expected to remain freely accessible, and even subscribers will still see ads in search results.
The potential move to a paid model would be a major shift for Google, which has traditionally relied solely on advertising revenue to provide consumer services for free.
According to the report, the company is not considering an ad-free search experience, but is working on developing new premium features and services to enhance its subscription offering.
The tech giant highlights its continued efforts to reinvent search to meet evolving user needs through generative AI, announcing significant increases in queries in key markets without confirming concrete plans for the future. I showed it.
Google’s search and related advertising business generated $175 billion in 2023, accounting for more than half of its total revenue. This poses a strategic dilemma for the company: deploying cutting-edge AI innovation without jeopardizing its most lucrative revenue stream.
Experimental SGE service
The strategic review comes nearly a year and a half after the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and at a time when Google’s advertising business faces potential disruption from advanced AI technologies.
In response, Google launched an experimental AI-powered search service in May 2023 aimed at providing more detailed answers while still providing links and ads. However, major search engines have been slow to adopt Search Generative Experience (SGE) capabilities.
Using generated AI in search results requires significantly more computing resources, making it more expensive for Google to provide these advanced features. Currently, access to SGE is limited to a select group of users, including some subscribers to the Google One service.
SGE offers a variety of features, as well as creative tools, such as the ability to ask more complex questions, receive topic snapshots, and follow up on results. The service introduced AI image generation in October 2023, offering similar functionality to Midjourney and other apps.
Regardless of how Google’s AI-powered services evolve, the company will inevitably compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Bing AI. Both companies have established a revenue model that combines free and premium access to content.
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