You might notice that with every search you make in Google's search engine, there's a summarized or simplified result on top of all the links provided in the results. As it turns out, it's not cheap to generate those results, and Google might need a way to make up for the cost.
Paid AI Search Results
Some might find the AI feature useful since it provides a more straightforward answer instead of looking for links and combing through its contents. It even provides sources to determine whether you would find them credible or not.
The option could be generated automatically or you press the "Generate" button when Google asks if you want an AI overview of the result. Like other AI companies using subscription fees to afford the operation of its AI models, Google might do the same for its AI search results.
As mentioned in Ars Technica, it was said that three people with knowledge of Google's plans learned about the potential charge for the feature. While Google is still bringing in steady revenue from ad sales with $175 billion last year, it might not be enough to fund AI operations.
An AI-powered search requires more resources than the standard queries. It was reported that the use of Google's AI model Gemini could cost the company ten times more per search, which would rack up extra costs of about seven billion dollars.
Even without the potential charging for Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE), not a lot of people are buying into the AI feature for Google Search. It might be a good idea to charge people who actually find it useful if only to make up for the extra cost of adding an AI feature.
Will It Be Worth It?
That depends entirely on you whether a generative AI search result is useful. For people who don't want to scroll through links and just want to get the gist of the information they're looking for, then the SGe feature would certainly be worth it, paid or otherwise.
Google says it will help you be able to "understand a topic faster, uncover new viewpoints and insights, and get things done more easily." With key information readily available, you will save more time in the process since you will already have a breakdown of the information you need.
If not, then you can easily click on the sources that Google's generative AI will include with its summarization. When you expand the result, the search engine also offers other subtopics you can explore, saving you the need to type it out yourself.
For instance, asking Google what the best laptop for gaming is yielded several models as well as the source it got the suggestion from. There are suggested topics at the bottom of the response such as what a good gaming laptop should have or which laptop brand is best.
The generative AI feature even extends to shopping experiences. When searching for a product, Google will include important information such as reviews, ratings, prices, and product images, which can help you make better choices with your purchase.
