Free Bard No More: Google May Start Charging Users For Bard Advance AI Soon

Google aims to boost its income by introducing premium subscriptions for its upcoming conversational AI, a move aligned with the evolving landscape of the digital realm.

In the forthcoming months, Google is set to unveil Bard Advance, an upgraded version of its chatbot. This advanced AI model is anticipated to surpass the capabilities of the current Google Bard, which is presently fueled by Gemini Pro. Analysts in the tech industry foresee the possibility of Google introducing a subscription service in tandem with the launch of Bard Advance, citing its integration with the company's potent AI model, Gemini Ultra.

Confirming these speculations, Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet, revealed the subscription plan for the upcoming AI chatbot, while emphasising that Bard is currently accessible for free.

A recent report from Android Authority sheds light on Google's intention to implement a subscription model for Bard Advance, as disclosed during the fourth-quarter earnings call. This strategic decision is anchored in the anticipation of elevated subscription revenue. Google aims to boost its income by introducing premium subscriptions for its upcoming conversational AI, a move aligned with the evolving landscape of the digital realm.

Positioned as the advanced AI tool in Google's arsenal, Bard Advance will leverage the capabilities of the newly introduced Gemini Ultra architecture. Gemini Ultra is an integral component of Google's multimodal AI system, Gemini, unveiled in December of the preceding year. The forthcoming AI model is poised to tackle intricate tasks across diverse formats, encompassing text, images, audio, video, and code. Sundar Pichai emphasised the evolution of Bard, stating, “It's (Bard) now powered by Gemini Pro, and it's much more capable at things like understanding, summarising, reasoning, coding, and planning. It's now in over 40 languages and over 230 countries around the world. Looking ahead, we'll be rolling out an even more advanced version for subscribers powered by Gemini Ultra.”

Although Google refrained from disclosing specific pricing details for the Bard Advance subscription, it is evident that users will transition from the current free usage model to a fee-based structure post the launch of the enhanced AI conversational tool.