The internet giant Google, which is predominantly known for its extremely used search engine, is thought to be considering introducing a paywall for top AI-generated content. This move may be Google’s first decision to monetize the services they have been providing without expectations of payment for a long time.
According to a Financial Times (FT) article, the company is considering rolling out AI-powered search features for its premium subscriptions. These services offer users access to Gemini, similar to ChatGPT, the AI virtual chatbot. Although Google has not made any formal statements about this project to the public, word has it that engineers at the company are already working on the technology that would make it possible.
Controversies and challenges in AI development
Many uncertainties came with Google’s advent to AI content. Gemini, the AI assistant developed by Midjourney, became the leading actor in the controversy this year after it produced false pictures using texts for prompts. Notably, an image depicting US Founding Fathers inaccurately included a black man and another image portraying German soldiers from World War Two featured both a black man and an Asian woman. Subsequently, Google immediately suspended the API and apologized for the inaccurate algorithm.
Google’s domination in search engines remains unquestionable despite the existence of the top competitors. Google’s capture of more than 80% among desktop users since 2015 also boosts the position of the search engine in the competitive market. Statista, a statistics aggregation company, estimates that Google serves more than 113 million users online per day, which shows how massive its audience and impact are on the internet. The majority of Google’s income comes from selling advertisements, but the company has adventured into different business offerings, such as e-mail services, productivity tools, enterprise solutions, and mobile devices.
Diversification and revenue streams
Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., has established a massive presence in the tech industry, with its market capitalization worth more than $1.6 trillion by 2020. Although Alphabet started as a search engine empire, it has expanded beyond the realm of search. It now has various organizations making up a large stream of its revenue. In 2023, the business turned over roughly 305.6 billion dollars, which illustrates that it is still following the innovation and diversification trend.
Although Google says that its subscription services will attract many and offering ad-free search is not part of the plans, options may be opened up for them to consider this in the future. However, With the development of the digital environment, Google remains at the top. It uses artificial intelligence and other technologies to deliver innovative solutions to its worldwide audience.
Source: https://www.ft.com/content/2f4bfeb4-6579-4819-9f5f-b3a46ff59ed1
