ALBAWABA - In a recent product announcement, Samsung has reiterated its intention to charge for certain Galaxy AI features by the end of 2025, following months of similar hints from the company. This move signals a shift in Samsung’s business model as it looks to monetize its growing suite of AI-driven tools.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S24 FE and Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, and in a subtle footnote in its press release, reiterated that some Galaxy AI features might not remain free indefinitely. The official disclaimer reads: “Fees may apply to certain AI features at the end of 2025,” as noticed by SamMobile.
The concept of paid AI features is not entirely new. Samsung first suggested this possibility earlier this year with the release of the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy Fold and Flip 6 devices. However, the recent reiteration shows that the company is moving forward with its plans, though details on which features will be affected or how much they will cost remain unclear.
Samsung, however, has consistently used the term “AI” rather than “Galaxy AI” when referencing potential fees. Since some of its Galaxy AI features rely on Google technologies, like the infamous ‘Circle to Search,’ should Google decide to monetize its own AI offerings, it could pressure Samsung to introduce fees for features that depend on Google’s infrastructure, forcing the tech giant to follow suit, SamMobile notes.
Samsung’s AI features have been widely praised for enhancing user experiences across various functions, such as advanced image editing, real-time language translation, and note summarization. While these tools are currently free, the company has signaled that this may change, as running AI systems requires significant computational resources and energy.
