Google, which is used by more than a billion people around the world, is reportedly considering charging for premium content generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
The company, which is owned by Alphabet Inc, is reportedly revamping its business model and looking to put some of its core products behind a paywall.
This will be the first time Google has charged for any of its content.
Google said it had nothing to announce “at this time.”
According to the Financial Times (FT), it is said to be considering whether to add certain AI-powered search features to its premium subscription services that already offer access to a new AI assistant called Gemini, which is Google's version of its viral chatbot ChatGPT.
Executives have reportedly not yet made a decision on when or whether to move forward with the technology, but the Financial Times said engineers were developing the knowledge needed to deploy the service.
Google's traditional search engine will remain free but will continue to feature ads alongside searched content, which subscribers will also see. said the Financial Times.
Google has faced challenges in dealing with the AI revolution — earlier this year, its Gemini system, which can answer questions in text form but also generate images in response to text prompts, sparked controversy after it mistakenly created an image of the US Founding Fathers with There is a black image in it. man.
It also produced German soldiers from World War II, incorrectly featuring a black man and an Asian woman.
Google apologized and immediately paused the tool, saying it “misses the mark.”
However, it is still the number one company for the majority of internet users when it comes to searching for information.
According to global market research firm Statista, Google has dominated the desktop search engine market since 2015 with up to 80%+ of internet users. Various websites state that it has over a billion daily users.
The majority of Google's revenue is generated through advertising. Its parent company, Alphabet, is one of the largest internet companies worldwide with a 2023 valuation of $1.6 trillion (£1.26 trillion), according to Statista.
But it has diversified and now offers mail, productivity tools, enterprise products and mobile devices, among other ventures, and in 2023 generated revenues of around $305.6bn (£241bn).
In a statement issued to the BBC, Google said it “is not working on or considering an ad-free search experience.”
“As we have done many times before, we will continue to build new premium capabilities and services to enhance our subscription offerings across Google,” the search giant said. “We don't have anything to announce now.”
