As per a recent report from the Financial Times, Google is contemplating the idea of introducing a fee for their AI-driven search service, currently known as the Search Generative Experience (SGE). This signifies a significant shift for Google as they have never charged for a search product before which could potentially make headlines in the future.
Although the idea is still at an early stage and remains internal for now, there are ongoing discussions among engineers to develop the necessary technology for the service. However, the final decision to launch this paid search option and its timeline is yet to be determined by the executives. If Google decides to proceed with this plan, users may have to pay for premium search features powered by generative AI.
Alternatively, Google may choose to offer premium AI search features as part of their existing subscriptions, such as Gemini in Gmail and Docs through the Google One AI Premium plan. Interestingly, the paid AI-powered service would not be ad-free, contrasting with the traditional free search engine Google currently provides.
Reportedly, Google has been feeling the pressure from the potential threat posed by ChatGPT for the past 18 months. While the urgency in Google’s response is evident, the extent of the threat ChatGPT poses to Google search requires further evidence and verification.
Looking ahead, if ChatGPT were to evolve into a substitute for Google search, it could affect Google’s ad revenue significantly, as ad revenue is a major source of income for the company. Hence, Google is exploring ways to adapt and respond to potential changes in the market landscape.
Given that generative AI technology requires substantial resources to operate, an AI-powered search engine would come with higher operational costs. This explains the consideration of charging for the service, a trend seen also in platforms like ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot offering paid tiers.
In a statement, a Google spokesperson mentioned:
For years, we’ve been reinventing Search to help people access information in the way that’s most natural to them. With our generative AI experiments in Search, we’ve already served billions of queries, and we’re seeing positive Search query growth in all of our major markets. We’re continuing to rapidly improve the product to serve new user needs. We don’t have anything to announce right now.
