Google might start charging for access to search results that use generative artificial intelligence tools. That’s according to a new Financial Times report citing “three people with knowledge of [Google’s] plans.”
Charging for any part of the search engine at the core of its business would be a first for Google, which has funded its search product solely with ads since 2000. But it’s far from the first time Google would charge for AI enhancements in general; the “AI Premium” tier of a Google One subscription costs $10 more per month than a standard “Premium” plan, for instance, while “Gemini Business” adds $20 a month to a standard Google Workspace subscription.
While those paid products offer access to Google’s high-end “Gemini Advanced” AI model, Google also offers free access to its less performant, plain “Gemini” model without any kind of paid subscription.
Good news, in my opinion. I don’t think users see the value in of AI and so maybe sites will go back to catering to organic results instead.
Just kidding Google will just make the non-AI search experience so bad that people are forced to sign up for their AI subscription
My first thought was “thank God! Maybe I won’t have to scroll past their AI results to get to actual search results”.
Kagi needs better android integration. I hate searching ony phone now because I can’t use kagi easily.
It’s already bad, they don’t have to do anything to make it bad. The real issue will be if they try to make it so it’s AI or nothing.
Right?! I’ve switched to Duck Duck Go 🦆