OpenAI’s recent introduction of a monthly subscription fee for ChatGPT Plus, of $20USD/month, sent shockwaves throughout the search engine industry – immediately forming opinions about its potential to either prove a revolutionary disruption, or an only temporary interest-sparker and ephemeral blip. But the inquiry remains: what are the possibilities and implications of such a daring move, and will the subscription model become the new standard for search engines?

The Impetus for the Change

With a shocking 1 million users in a mere week demonstrating the popular demand for OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the stage was set for a change. After all, Google needed 10 months to achieve the same feat. Additionally, initial speculation had forewarned a potentially higher-than-average fee, pricing it out of the vast majority of the market, and thus focus soon shifted to an optimized pricing model that would be both appealing and accessible.

What Subscribers Can Expect

The $20/month fee introduces an intriguing range of opportunities for subscribers to gain far more than the average benefit of a search engine. As well as faster response times and increased priority access to new features, improved functionality, and other developments, users are offered a monetized service that offers not only convenience but value.

Google’s ‘Code Red’ Response

In anticipation to the rising trend of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Google has responded with a ‘Code Red’: a sudden jump in focus to ML and AI within its own services, pushing it to the forefront of their production. This makes it possible for OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus to make strides into the search engine industry, with a clear head-start available to those wishing to make the most of the upcoming opportunities.

The Availability to All Subscribers

At the moment, only US subscribers are able to join the ChatGPT Plus monthly subscription, but it’s not all bad news for non-American searchers. A waitlist exists for those eager to take advantage of the subscription, and for the time being, the free version of ChatGPT still stands for the time being.

It’s difficult to say for certain whether the subscription model laid out by OpenAI will become the new industry standard, or ultimately sink in a sea of disinterest. But bold moves should always be recognized and appreciated, and in the case of ChatGPT Plus, it has clearly triggered an upswell of possibilities and implications that are worth considering and exploring thoroughly.