Google Search may no longer be completely free – not regular search but the generative search.

Google [Generative] Search may no longer be completely free

In a radical change to its business model, Google is considering charging users for content generated by SGE (Search Generative Experience), a search experience that uses AI to provide users with overviews of search topics.

This is not the regular search results, the SGE (Search Generative Experience) acts as a middle man between Google search and the raw search results, its a hybrid with chat gpt like summary and generating valuable user information that is readily usable for the end user.

Key Points:
• Google’s AI-powered search features could become part of its existing subscription services, with its traditional search engine still remaining free to use.
• It’s thought that, although subscribers will pay for AI-generated search response summaries, they will still receive ads, as they will when using the free Google Search.
• Although Google already charges users for Gemini and extra storage, this move marks the first time it’s put one of its core search products behind a paywall.

Why you should care: Google is contemplating this commercial shake-up as it tries to integrate AI into its search experience (to keep up with competition) while safeguarding its primary revenue source—its search-related ads—which makes $175B per year.