In an era where artificial intelligence is changing the digital world, Google is preparing to embark on an innovative path. The company is breaking new ground by evaluating the implementation of advanced AI-powered search capabilities accessible via subscription. This new direction could mark an epochal moment for the famous search engine, which has always offered its main services without restrictions.
Google and AI search: a paid future?
Google finds itself at a strategic crossroads. The emergence of technologies such as OpenAI GPT chat has shaken the very foundations of its advertising-based business model. In response, Google is considering making some of its new search features AI-powered exclusive for The subscribers. These innovations would complement existing premium services such as Assistant Gemini in Gmail and Documents.
Although il its search engine will remain free, the introduction of a paid system for advanced features represents a radical change for the company. Google has always focused on free services supported by advertising, making this move a real paradigm shift.
This initiative emerges in a context in which Google must deal with the dual objective of innovate, keeping pace with the evolution of AI, and of protect its main sources of income, closely linked to online advertising. The launch of ChatGPT has accelerated the arms race in AI, prompting Google to look for ways to integrate these technologies without undermining its own advertising revenue.
Google's traditional search engine, which generated $175 billion in revenue last year, remains a cornerstone of its success. However, generative AI requires significantly more computational resources, increasing costs for the company. Google has already experimented with an AI search service called “Search Generative Experience“, offering detailed answers to user queries but limiting access to a limited group, including some subscribers to the Google One package.
What improvements will it bring?
Google's introduction of AI-enhanced but paid search could solve some of the problems with the current model, such as the need for users to navigate through the links to find information, often distracting them from advertising content.
Furthermore, Microsoft has already integrated similar AI technologies into its Bing search engine, although this has not significantly impacted its market share. The real challenge for Big G will therefore be to implement these innovations in a way that attract new users and generate additional revenue, without alienating its user base accustomed to free services.
Source | Financial Times
