Google said on Tuesday that next year its AI tools will be off by default for K-12 student accounts unless school administrators explicitly turn them on. The change covers Gemini, NotebookLM, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search. According to TechCrunch, Google says it follows consultations with schools, teachers, researchers and policymakers.
But administrators will not be able to turn off the AI features and keep Search. "Search and AI are deeply integrated," Chris Phillips, Google's vice president for education, told The New York Times. Students in schools that block AI will not be able to search and will see a message that the service is unavailable. Google argues the change will "give schools more choice, not less."
The decision drew criticism. According to The Verge, Sen. Bernie Sanders called it "extortion," and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said "no corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children." Google is also embedding Guided Learning, meant to help students work through problems themselves, into AI Overviews in Search, and will begin testing it in select US schools this month.
