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Google may charge for access to its AI-powered search, according to The Financial Times.
If the plans come to fruition, it would represent the first time the tech giant has put its flagship search engine behind a paywall, the FT notes. The company's biggest cash cow is its advertising business, however, so it doesn't want to disrupt that too significantly.
In a statement, Google tells PCMag that it is "not working on or considering an ad-free search experience." It will "continue to build new premium capabilities and services to enhance our subscription offerings across Google, [but we] don't have anything to announce right now.”
According to the FT, Google executives have told software engineers to begin working on the project, but have not confirmed if and when it would launch.
Google currently offers three types of AI-powered search products:
- Gemini (formerly Bard): A standalone chatbot that is free to use with a Google account.
- Gemini Advanced: A $19.99/month subscription that provides access to a more advanced AI model as well as an AI assistant for Gmail and Docs. It also includes access to Google One, which offers 2TB of cloud storage and a VPN app.
- Search Generative Experience (SGE): A free, ChatGPT-style version of search results. SGE has been an opt-in beta program since its May 2023 debut, but it recently began appearing in search results even for those who have not opted in.
ChatGPT, which far exceeds Google Gemini in the number of users, also offers a free version and a $20/month Plus subscription. Microsoft similarly offers free access to a version of ChatGPT in its Bing search engine, as well as a $20 Copilot Pro subscription.
Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI have all been hit with lawsuits over the data they use to train their AI. Artists, writers, and other creatives complain that these chatbots would be nothing without their expertise and that Silicon Valley is profiting off their work without compensating them for it.