Search Tied to AI

Google is completely turning off Search in schools that reject its AI features, according to the company. The decision was shared in a broader education-related update from Google, stating that access to Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search will be entirely off for K-12 student accounts unless administrators explicitly turn them on.

Google is entirely disabling Search in schools that don’t want AI

Students in schools that reject Google’s AI will see notices that Search isn’t available.

Administrators will not be given the option to toggle Gemini-powered features off without disabling Search. Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president of education, stated that Search and AI are deeply integrated, adding that schools that disable Google’s AI features will not have access to Search and will see a message indicating it is not available.

Policy Backlash

The announcement follows months after Google turned its Gemini AI assistant on by default inside the Google Classroom app, which is used by more than 150 million teachers and students globally. The move added to skepticism surrounding Google’s introduction of AI in schools amid reports of declining test scores and other impacts on students’ learning abilities. Lawmakers previously pressed Google on the potential harms of putting its AI products in schools.

Several lawmakers and local leaders have responded to Google’s move to block Search, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) calling it extortion and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani stating that no corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach children. Rohit Chopra, California’s Secretary of Business and Consumer Services, wrote that Big Tech should not be able to strong-arm schools.

Google argues that this change will give schools more choice, adding that institutions can choose to turn services on or off individually.

Guided Learning Tools

The company is also attempting to address concerns about students using its AI features to find shortcuts instead of solving problems themselves. Google is embedding its Guided Learning feature, which is designed to help students work through problems, into its AI Overviews in Search and will begin testing this feature in select US schools.

Additional updates include ongoing responses from educational administrators and lawmakers regarding the updated school policies.