Google to switch off Search entirely in schools that reject its AI features
Google will turn off Search and Gemini tools for K-12 student accounts unless administrators explicitly enable them. Schools cannot opt out of the AI features while keeping regular Search.
Technology company Google has announced that schools declining to use its artificial intelligence (AI) features will lose access to Google Search altogether. The company told The New York Times about the decision, and it was also set out in an education-related update Google published on Tuesday.
According to the announcement, access to Gemini (Google's AI assistant), Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search will be "entirely off" for K-12 student accounts, covering kindergarten through 12th grade, unless administrators explicitly turn them on.
Administrators will not be able to disable only the Gemini-powered features while keeping Search. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president of education, told the newspaper that Search and AI are deeply integrated. Schools that switch off the AI features will not have access to Search, and students will see a message from their school saying it is unavailable.
What came before
The announcement follows a decision made just months ago to turn Gemini on by default in the Google Classroom app, which is used by more than 150 million teachers and students worldwide. The introduction of AI in schools has drawn skepticism amid reports of declining test scores and other effects on students' learning abilities. Last month, lawmakers pressed Google about the potential harms of putting its AI products in schools.
Addressing the "shortcuts" concern
The company is also trying to respond to concerns that students may use AI to find shortcuts rather than solving problems themselves. Its Guided Learning feature, designed to help students work through problems, is being built into AI Overviews in Search. Google will begin testing the feature in select US schools this month.
