Google May Charge For AI Internet Searches

Google is reportedly considering charging for premium AI-powered Internet searches as the company fears that AI chatbots are undercutting its search engine. 

Advertising-Funded 

Google, up until now, has relied mainly on an advertising-funded business model (Google Ads) as a way to collect data and monetise its market-leading search. However, it seems that fears around users asking queries via generative AI chatbots (e.g. Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT) which they would normally use Google search for, could cut Google out of the equation. This threat of missing out on user data and revenue, plus damage to the value of its ad service have apparently prompted Google to look at other monetising alternatives. Google, like other AI companies (with its Gemini family of models) is also likely to be looking for some return on its considerable AI investment thus far.