Google might start charging for access to search results that use generative artificial intelligence tools. That’s according to a new Financial Times report citing “three people with knowledge of [Google’s] plans.”

Charging for any part of the search engine at the core of its business would be a first for Google, which has funded its search product solely with ads since 2000. But it’s far from the first time Google would charge for AI enhancements in general; the “AI Premium” tier of a Google One subscription costs $10 more per month than a standard “Premium” plan, for instance, while “Gemini Business” adds $20 a month to a standard Google Workspace subscription.

While those paid products offer access to Google’s high-end “Gemini Advanced” AI model, Google also offers free access to its less performant, plain “Gemini” model without any kind of paid subscription.

  • @Moghul
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    156 months ago

    They will absolutely try to force the paid feature on you. How many times have you seen the youtube premium prompt?

    • @QuadratureSurfer
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      6 months ago

      It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that… but I mostly watch YouTube through Grayjay, or on a browser with adblocking enabled.

      • @Moghul
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        26 months ago

        I don’t have that blocked, and use the youtube website, so I see it at least once a week.

          • @Moghul
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            26 months ago

            I do, I just don’t have the premium prompt blocked

            • @QuadratureSurfer
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              26 months ago

              Ah, sorry, I didn’t realize that there was an ad-blocker that didn’t block the premium prompt.

              • @Moghul
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                26 months ago

                I mean I have ublock origin and it still shows up between rows of videos.