Google One, the subscription service from the tech giant, has now exceeded 100 million subscribers.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, announced the milestone in a post on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “We just reached 100M Google One subscribers! Excited to continue this momentum with our new AI Premium Plan, launched yesterday, which includes AI capabilities like Gemini Advanced, alongside Gemini integration in Gmail, Docs, and more features on the horizon.” The Google One subscription provides members with cloud storage and device backup, online security features such as VPN and dark web reports, as well as additional perks like editing features in Google Photos and rewards in the Google Store, as outlined on the subscription program’s website.
Pichai’s announcement follows the unveiling of a new Google One AI Premium Plan, introduced by the company just a day prior. This plan, priced at $19.99 per month, encompasses all the features of the existing Google One Premium Plan while introducing access to Gemini Advanced, a new chatbot that taps into Google’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) model, Ultra 1.0. Subscribers will soon benefit from Gemini integration in various Google apps such as Gmail, Docs, Slides, and Sheets.
The introduction of AI features has notably contributed to an increase in subscriptions at Google. During an earnings call on January 30th, Pichai highlighted the significant growth, revealing that quarterly revenues from subscriptions hit $9 billion in the December period, with an annualized rate of $15 billion. This growth, which has surged fivefold since 2019, was attributed to the company’s advancements in Generation AI (Gen AI) and product leadership, as stated by Pichai during the call.
Following the immense popularity of OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus, Google has introduced a paid chatbot subscription service. OpenAI faced overwhelming demand for its subscription, leading to a temporary halt in signups in mid-November, which were reopened a month later. Microsoft’s AI chatbot is also experiencing growth in its subscriber base. Reports in November suggested that the company could generate more than $10 billion in annual revenue by 2026, following the launch of its Microsoft 365 Copilot AI for Office app business subscribers.
According to PYMNTS Intelligence, there has been exponential growth in generative AI, with neural networks and generative pre-trained transformers, such as ChatGPT, attracting millions of users and developers. Additionally, large language models (LLMs) are playing a significant role in interpreting and generating natural human conversation, fueling the development of new interfaces, as discussed in “Preparing for a Generative AI World,” a collaboration between PYMNTS Intelligence and AI-ID.
