Google is considering paying for premium services on its AI-powered search engine, the Financial Times said on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the plan, Reuters reported.
According to reports, the tech giant is considering several solutions, including adding AI-powered search capabilities to its premium subscription service that gives users access to the new Gemini AI assistant in Gmail and Docs.
Alphabet shares fell about 1% in extended trading. As it tries to move into the fast-moving AI space, Google is likely to put one of its core products at the back of the bill.
The article states that even for subscribers, the default search engine will remain free and ads will be displayed next to search results.
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“As we have done many times before, we will continue to develop new premium features and services to improve the display of our subscription offerings in Google,” he said in a statement sent by e-mail.
Google, which developed the technology behind the development of AI today, is involved in a competitive battle with two major industry players that have attracted the attention of the business community: OpenAI, the company that developed ChatGPT, and Microsoft, which supports it.
