April 4th 2024.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Google is planning a major change to its well-known search engine. The company is considering the possibility of charging for certain search results, as reported by the Financial Times. This would mark the first time that Google has ever charged for its flagship product.
Early indications suggest that Google will introduce a paywall for a variety of new "premium" features, all powered by artificial intelligence. However, it is worth noting that the traditional search engine will remain free of charge, as this is a major source of revenue for both Google and its parent company, Alphabet. The Financial Times also reports that ads will continue to appear alongside any paid search results.
In an official statement, Google clarified that they are not currently working on or considering an ad-free search experience. They also mentioned their ongoing efforts to develop new premium capabilities and services as part of their subscription offerings across various Google platforms.
One of these offerings is Gemini, Google's latest AI assistant. Gemini was launched last year as an updated version of the chatbot Bard, which was released in a hurry after ChatGPT took the industry by storm in late 2022. As a pioneer in AI technology, Google is now navigating the challenge of meeting the growing demand for AI while still protecting their core product.
In recent years, many have turned to ChatGPT as an alternative to Google, relying on its ability to provide fully-formed answers instead of a list of websites. This can often lead to quicker results, even if they are not always accurate. Additionally, one of the major appeals of ChatGPT is its ad-free experience, which Google is unable to match since the majority of their revenue comes from advertising.
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