Google Considers Monetizing AI-Based Search Features

Google is reportedly considering the launch of a paid premium search service based on generative artificial intelligence (AI).

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 3rd (local time), major foreign media outlets cited multiple sources saying that Google is reviewing options such as adding specific AI-based search functions to a premium subscription service. Access to the Gemini AI assistant is already provided in Gmail and Google Docs.

This is expected to be the first case of Google monetizing its core search service. If the new service is launched, Google's search engine will be dualized, with the existing search service remaining free. Currently, Google engineers are developing technology for deploying an AI-based paid search service. A source said, "Management has not yet made a final decision on whether or when to launch it."

Google is believed to be considering monetization by taking into account the resources and costs involved in AI-based search. The foreign media pointed out, "This type of search result, which includes AI-based snapshots, consumes much more computing resources, making it costly." Last year, Google generated $175 billion in revenue from advertising sectors including its search engine, accounting for more than half of its total sales.