Google is planning to introduce ads in Gemini AI assistant
What's the story
Google's CEO Sundar Pichai has hinted at the possibility of bringing advertisements into the company's Gemini AI assistant.
Speaking at Alphabet's investor call, Pichai revealed that while the focus is currently on offering a free tier and subscriptions for Gemini, they are exploring "very good ideas" for bringing in ads.
However, he stressed that any such move would prioritize user experience above all else.
CEO's perspective
Pichai's response to future monetization of Gemini
Responding to a Wells Fargo analyst's question about the possibility of an "ad component" in Gemini, Pichai said, "On the monetization side, for now, we have focused on a free tier and subscriptions."
"But as you've seen [with] Google over time, we always want to lead with the user experience and we do have very good ideas for native ad concepts," he added.
Strategy
User experience and advertising: A balancing act
Further, Pichai explained how Google would balance user experience with advertising.
He said, "I do think we're always committed to making the products work and reach billions of users at scale. And advertising has been a great aspect of that strategy."
Drawing parallels with YouTube's model, he hinted that the same options could be made available for Gemini users in due course.
Future plans
No immediate plans for ads
Despite the talks of possible ad integration, Pichai clarified that there are no plans to bring ads into Gemini anytime soon.
He said, "Just like you've seen with YouTube, we'll give people options over time. But for this year, I think you'll see us be focused on the subscription direction."
Google also plans to spend $75 billion on capital expenditures this year to help it take on rivals in the AI space.