What if, tomorrow, you had to pay to do searches on Google and became chargeable? As incredible as it seems, this scenario could become a reality if the company decided to add new functions from its Gemini AI.
The launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 has completely shaken up the tech industry. All companies are banking on it to gain popularity and integrating it into their devices and services. Microsoft was the first to enter the dance with Bing Chat, then with Microsoft Copilot. Google, until now the undisputed master of artificial intelligence, then followed suit by launching Bard, since renamed Gemini. The company is gradually integrating its AI into all its services: in Google Messages, in Google Maps, in Gmail, etc. All of them have the particularity of being free. But this could well change, including for its famous search engine, which occupies 90% of the market share in the sector. Indeed, sources close to the matter told the Financial Times that the Mountain View firm would consider offering premium functions, based on generative artificial intelligence, on Google Search.
Google paid search: results summarized by AI
The internet giant is currently testing search results in the form of AI-generated summaries with a handful of US users. This function, called Search Generative Experience (SGE), makes it possible to obtain a summary of several sources, which prevents Internet users from successively opening different pages when they make a query. It could be likely to join those already present in the paid version of its Gemini Advanced chatbot (see our article). A way to cover the particularly high costs generated by artificial intelligence.
As a reminder, Google’s chatbot hosts the Ultra version of Gemini, within a subscription called Google One AI Premium. For $19.99 per month, it gives access to Gemini Advanced, which includes the Ultra version of Gemini, to 2 TB of storage space – an envelope usually offered, alone, at 9.99 euros/dollars per month in the offers One Premium –, the usual benefits of Google One – VPN, additional functions in Google Photos, longer calls in Google Meet, etc. – and the upcoming integration of Gemini into the Gmail environment and into Google’s application suite.
Google paid search: an evolving economic model?
But if we pay a weekly subscription, what about advertising? Doesn’t such a system call into question Google’s financial model? This is because many websites rely on displaying advertisements. Thus, the summaries proposed by the AI could have a direct impact on the search engine and lead to a massive drop in the click-through rate, or as much less advertising revenue.
However, the subscription should not remove advertising from the search engine, but would only give access to new functions. “We do not work or plan for an ad-free search experience. As we have done many times before, we will continue to develop new premium features and services to improve our subscription offerings on Google., she also declared to Reuters. This is not surprising given that advertising generated $175 billion in revenue for the company last year, more than half of its total revenue.