April 3 (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google is

considering charging for premium features on its generative

AI-powered search engine, the Financial Times reported on

Wednesday, citing people familiar with the plan.

The tech giant is looking at a variety of options, including

incorporating AI-powered search features to its premium

subscription services, which already provide access to its new

Gemini AI assistant in Gmail and Docs, the report said.

Alphabet's shares dipped about 1% in extended trade.

The move would mark Google's first time in putting any of

its core products behind a paywall, as it seeks to gain ground

in the fast-moving AI space. Its traditional search engine would

remain free of charge and ads would continue to appear alongside

search results even for subscribers, the report added.

"We're not working on or considering an ad-free search

experience. As we've done many times before, we'll continue to

build new premium capabilities and services to enhance our

subscription offerings across Google," the company told Reuters

in an emailed statement.

Google, which invented the foundational technology for

today's AI boom, is also locked in battle with two industry

players that have captured the business world's attention -

ChatGPT's creator OpenAI and its backer Microsoft ( MSFT ).