How long until Google starts to charge for GMail, Maps & Google Office Suite of Apps?

Given the recent advancements in AI-driven search, I think Google was absolutely justified in raising that "Code Red" in November, 2022 -- almost exactly 2 years ago. They saw what was coming—the moment the AI bell rang, it was one that couldn’t be un-rung.

When you look at Google’s business model, it’s clear that the revenue they pull from selling data through GMail, Maps, and Google Workspace (the suite formerly known as Drive, Docs, Sheets, etc.) is small compared to the profits they’ve traditionally made from search-based advertising. But that once-stable stream of income may be in serious jeopardy.

With the rise of competitors like Perplexity, Anthropic, and now ChatGPT-Search, Google’s once-dominant platform is under intense siege: Lord of the Rings Battle of Helm's Deep style.

I'm expecting Google might soon be forced into some tough decisions. I wouldn’t be surprised if, within the next 3-5 years, they begin charging for services we’ve always assumed would stay free—GMail, Drive, Sheets, and the rest of the “free” suite could become a new revenue fallback.

It's still odd to me how they are in many ways responsible for where AI is today, yet they just can't seem to get their act together on this.

It makes me wonder: How long can Google hold onto Search with the uninformed masses (the regular non-technical "joe"), and what will happen to all the "free" tools we've enjoyed over the years?

I know that we're the ones they sell to the advertisers when we use their GMail and Office Suite of apps, but I just can't imagine it's enough to cover the cost if their Search revenue starts to tank -- and I can't believe it hasn't already started.

Curious to hear what the community thinks about this.