Google is considering putting some features powered by generative AI behind a paywall, according to a report by the Financial Times (FT).

The move would mark the first time that Google has charged for its main content. The company currently offers users a service called Gemini which acts as a competitor to the Microsoft-owned ChatGPT.

The FT cited three unnamed people with knowledge of the matter who said that Google may add some AI-powered search features to its subscription services.

In February, Google launched subscriptions to Gemini Advanced, which includes access to a more powerful AI model and provides users with two terabytes of cloud storage (typically $9.99 per month). The Google One AI Premium plan also provides access to Gemini in Gmail and Google Workspace.

The FT said that while engineers are currently working on the technology needed to roll out the subscription service, a final decision about its launch has not been made.

The newspaper added that Google’s search engine would still be free at the point of use and advertising would appear with search results for all users.

National Technology News has reached out to Google for comment.

Last month, Google was fined €250 million for breaches of EU intellectual property rules over the use of content to train its AI platform. The Autorité de la concurrence said that Gemini was trained on content from publishers and news agencies without notifying them.

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