Reports have claimed Google is in talks to start charging users for access to its AI powered search features.
The company is said to be changing its business model, seeing it place some core AI products behind a paywall for the first time.
According to sources, it’s considering adding AI search features to the existing subscription service, which is in place for Gemini, its AI chatbot.
A decision has yet to be made on whether or not to go ahead with the proposals, however, the reports suggests engineers are exploring the possibility.
Google’s traditional search engine is said to remain free.
Google explained it would “continue to build new premium capabilities and services to enhance our subscription offerings” but it didn’t have “anything to announce right now.”
As of the moment, majority of Google’s revenue comes from advertising, but in recent years, it’s looked to expand.
