A $3,000/year ‘VIP pass’ to Google’s most powerful AI features

Google I/O is buzzing with announcements today, and, as expected, AI is front and center at the event. The company is rolling out a wave of powerful new features across its products, but the biggest spotlight is on a new premium subscription plan called Google AI Ultra.

If you want everything Google has to offer in consumer-facing AI — old, new, and upcoming — this is the Google One plan for you. But be warned, it’s a big investment.

As the name suggests, AI Ultra is Google’s most advanced AI subscription plan yet. It’s built for power users like researchers, developers, and content creators who need maximum performance and the latest features. The company is pitching it as the “VIP pass to Google AI,” and with good reason.

The plan unlocks the highest usage limits across Google’s various AI tools, fastest response times, and early access to experimental AI features at an eye-watering price of $249.99 per month in the US. That’s the equivalent of buying a budget Android phone every month, definitely not something for casual AI users. In comparison, ChatGPT’s most expensive Pro plan costs $200 per month. It’s definitely cheaper, but in all fairness, Google’s AI Ultra plan throws in some juicy extras like a YouTube Premium subscription (more on that below).

The good news is that first-time users can get 50% off for the first three months of Google AI Ultra. After that, you’re looking at nearly $3,000 per year to stay on the cutting edge.

What you get with AI Ultra

Subscribers to AI Ultra gain access to Google’s most powerful AI features and tools, including:

• Gemini: The best version of the Gemini app, with the highest usage caps for Deep Research, advanced video generation via Veo 2, and early access to the upcoming Veo 3. You’ll also get access to Deep Think 2.5 Pro, Google’s latest high-reasoning model.
• Flow: A brand-new AI filmmaking tool that lets you generate 1080p cinematic videos with intuitive prompting and advanced camera controls.
• Whisk: Google’s experimental tool that lets you create visual content using text and image prompts.
• NotebookLM: A powerful AI note-taking tool (now also an app) that’s getting enhancements and increased usage limits exclusive to Ultra users.
• Gemini across Google’s services: Access to Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Vids, and Chrome.
• Project Mariner: An agentic assistant that can juggle up to 10 tasks simultaneously across domains like research, bookings, and productivity.
• YouTube Premium: Included with the AI Ultra subscription.
• 30TB of storage: Cloud storage across Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail.

What about existing AI Premium users?

Google’s existing AI Premium plan is being rebranded to Google AI Pro with additional benefits. AI Pro subscribers will get access to some of the AI Ultra perks, like early access to Flow with Veo 2 and Gemini in Chrome, without paying Ultra prices.

Additionally, university students in the US, UK, Japan, Brazil, and Indonesia will receive free access to Google AI Pro for a year.